A one-day roundtable workshop was organized by the country office of the Dubai Chamber for Commerce and Industry for some of Ghana’s exporters of raw fruits and vegetables plus agro-processed materials on the processes and requirements to be met in order to export their produce to Dubai.

Cyril Darkwa, The Head of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that Ghanaian vegetables and Fruits farmers and exporters should look towards the UAE which has greater growth opportunities.

According to Mr. Darkwa, the UAE provides Ghanaian food manufacturers and exporters with a gateway to enter a market of more than 4 billion consumers across the Middle East and Asia.

In an interview, during the roundtable discussion Cyril Darkwa said, “UAE’s fast-growing population and the rising number of tourists are driving up demand within the food and beverage sector, which is projected to grow by 4 per cent annually to $13.2 billion by 2018, while it has increases its efforts to collaborate with other countries on food security.”

“Agricultural commodities and foodstuff were among the top products traded between Dubai and Ghana in 2016, contributing around $22 million to total non-oil bilateral trade during the year. We intend to see that volume grow in the near future through our combined efforts and increased cooperation,” he added.

Mr. Darkwa noted that considering current trends with regards to vegetable and fruits export now is the ideal time for Ghanaian companies to build relationships with their Dubai counterparts and benefit from the countries world-class infrastructure, logistics and position as a trade link in the GCC’s food chain.

“For its part, Dubai Chamber remains committed to providing its 210,000 members with access to new trade and opportunities in promising markets. Accra is ready to provide all required support and resources to companies that want to trade with Dubai or use the emirate as a strategic hub to access markets in the GCC, Asia and Europe,” Mr. Darkwa noted.