HPW project – Ghana
The HPW/IDH Smallholder project provides solutions to mitigate the pineapple scarcity and the mango and pineapple oversupply during peak seasons. Limited processing capacity during the mango peak season (5-6 months per year) results in pineapple farmers not being able to sell their pineapples to the processing factory and losing income. As a result they abandon pineapple growing and look for income alternatives.
The project enables more effective procurement and acceptance of fruits produced by smallholder farmers on a year-round basis.
The proposed intervention strategy is threefold:
1) implement a Grower Support Scheme for 425 mango and pineapple farmers
2) set up a tightly managed pineapple block farm, providing 60 selected smallholders with land and pre-financing of inputs
3) pulp and pasteurize fruit in over-supply peaks so that it can be further processed in low season.
Together with increased processing capacity of the new factory this will enable HPW to buy and process pineapples during mango peak season. This will provide farmers with market and income that goes beyond the normal 2-3 months peak season.