Ghana Fruits and Vegetables Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Ghana Fruits and Vegetables Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Ghanaian fruits and vegetable market is projected to register a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period 2022-2027.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the horticulture sector in Ghana was highly affected by the measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Incomes fell as export stopped, and farmers lost their money as the pandemic disrupted the key export markets. The country lacked adequate finance to invest in the upcoming seasons. According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Ghanaian vegetable and fruit exporters were unable to send consignments to their buyers in Europe and other international markets due to the lack of demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The growing middle-income population with a heightened awareness of the health benefits of consuming vegetables, increasing opportunities for imports, coupled with the rise in fruit processing units, is fueling the market growth for fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes, okra, onions, and eggplant are the major vegetables produced in the country. Most of these vegetables find a ready market not only in cities but also in rural areas. The major consumers of fresh fruits and vegetables in the country are the middle-income population. As the middle-income population is rising, the demand for fresh produce is projected to skyrocket in the near future. Tomatoes held the largest share among the vegetable segment of the market studied.

United Kingdom, United States, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates are some of the major importers of fruits and vegetables from Ghana. Export started to rise as the EU lifted bans on produce from Ghana. The ban was lifted in 2017 on five Ghanaian plants (chili pepper, bottle gourds, luffa gourds, bitter gourds, and eggplants), and exports were resumed in 2018 with duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market like any other product from Ghana.

The demand for fresh fruits, such as pineapples, is very high, mostly for exports, traditional domestic markets, supermarkets, and fruit processing. There is also a growing demand for fresh fruits for use in processed products, juices, etc., for local consumption and export. In order to boost the regional fruit trade, many companies such as Blue Skies, HPW Fresh & Dry, Peelco, and Pinora have established their own fruit processing units in Ghana. Further, these establishments have helped tackle the problem of post-harvest losses due to poor storage facilities in the region. The European Union continues to be the major importer of Ghanaian fruits, notably in France, Belgium, Morocco, Lebanon, Switzerland, and Germany. Many items available on German supermarket shelves come from Ghana in fresh or dried form. With the domestic fruit processing growth and regional exports, the demand for fruits is expected to grow during the forecast period. Additionally, new markets and contact with exporters, as well as certification to organic standards, have made the country's agricultural products more competitive both nationally and internationally.

The production of fresh vegetables takes place all over the country and is strongly related to weather conditions and market windows. Furthermore, irrigated agriculture is on the rise, leading to new production areas around the Volta River and Lake Volta, along with specific irrigated areas in and around the capital of the country. The major vegetables produced in the country include chilies, onions, tomatoes, okra, eggplant, beans, etc. Tomatoes held the largest share among the vegetable segment of the market studied in 2018. Based on data from FAOSTAT, the total vegetable production in Ghana in 2017 was 786,457 ton, which increased to 788,396 ton in 2020.

Many programs are also being started in the country in the agriculture sector in the country. For instance, the GhanaVeg program is being implemented by the Centre for Development Innovation (CDI). The program’s mission is to establish a sustainable and internationally competitive vegetable sector with new ways of doing business. The rise in initiatives by the program may lead to a surge in the production of vegetables in the country.

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