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fruits of success
How a pineapple can turn a life around
The pineapple has become one of Ghana's best exports, with shipments to Europe increasing from 2,000 tonnes per year in the early 1980s to over 50,000 tonnes last year
Sammy Ankoma is a pineapple farmer whose livelihood has been transformed by this growth. "I've built a lovely house, and was the first farmer in the village to buy a car," he proudly declares.
Like other farmers, Sammy owns a small plot of land and sells at an agreed price to an exporter. The exporter supplies him with finance, training, fertiliser and even building materials for his home.But this comfortable arrangement was recently challenged by a new pineapple variety - the MD2. This is favoured by European supermarkets for its sweeter flavour and higher fibre content, meaning less demand for Ghanaian varieties. So in 2004 the Ghanaian government launched a $2million programme to introduce the MD2 to Ghana. The trials were successful, and showed that Ghana had a favourable climate, giving it an advantage over established MD2 producers.
But to start growing the MD2, Sammy and other farmers needed a loan to replace their existing plants - a costly business, especially since interest rates in Ghana are high.To help them get access to cheaper finance, and to improve the business environment in general, Ghana's government, with DFID's support, has launched a Private Sector Development Strategy and Action Plan. This will cut red tape, improve transport and storage facilities, and ultimately help farmers like Sammy compete with producers from other countries.
Agriculture accounts for 60% of Ghana's workforce and over 30% of its GDP, but most of its agricultural activity is subsistence farming. Over 80% of poverty here is concentrated in the rural areas where subsistence farmers live, so the modernisation of agriculture is essential for economic development. Ghana's Private Sector Development Strategy is designed to reduce poverty, partly by addressing the constraints on smallbusinesses in rural areas.
The pineapple has become one of Ghana's best exports, with shipments to Europe increasing from 2,000 tonnes per year in the early 1980s to over 50,000 tonnes last year.