The Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, H.E Liesje Schreinemacher, visited Ghana for two days, one of her last visits before we welcomed a new minister and continued our collaboration journey.
During her visit, IDH Grains for Growth and the Horticultural Business Platform (HBP), in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Ghana, organized a fruit and vegetable Fair. The Minister inaugurated the fair, where about twenty-five vendors showcased and sold their products and services. The fair also brought together partners collaborating with EKN in Ghana, like the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC), East West Seeds (EWS), and Holland Green Tech.
A significant outcome of the visit was a meeting with Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, culminating in the signing of a bilateral agreement. The Minister also toured the Adenta Community School Garden, a horticultural learning site for youth and the community, demonstrating modern horticultural best practices and technologies.
During the visit, IDH Ghana briefed the Dutch Minister and the team on their activities and the benefits of their partnership with EKN. As part of the efforts to strengthen the economic and bilateral relationship between the Netherlands and Ghana, the Netherlands plans to invest 4 million euros in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The Minister stated: “The amount we invest in Ghana right now is 20 million euros, and we hope to invest specifically 4 million euros in agriculture. This is to ensure that local farmers work sustainably, achieve food security, and help the Netherlands in aiding this goal.”
The partnership between IDH Ghana and EKN aims to improve the horticulture sector. Robert Asugre, Country Manager at IDH Ghana, addressed the demand and supply challenges in the horticultural sector: “The market is there, with very high demand for these vegetables, but we don’t have enough production to meet the growing demands. This partnership seeks to address a significant gap in demand and supply by working with producers and markets to design an offtake planning and sourcing roadmap.”
The Minister’s visit emphasized the importance of collaboration in transforming value chains and strengthening the partnership between Ghana and the Netherlands, underlining the impact of Dutch support on the development and modernization of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
