FAGE President Champions 24-Hour Horticulture Economy

  

The President of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), Davies Narh Korboe, has made a compelling case for Ghana’s horticultural transformation, calling for urgent innovation, policy coordination, and investment to unlock the sector’s full potential. He delivered the address at the second edition of the Ghana Horticulture Expo 2025, held at the Accra International Conference Center on June 11, 2025.

Speaking on the theme “Innovate, Transform, Sustain: Driving Growth in Ghana’s Horticultural Sector”, Mr. Korboe declared that horticulture must be viewed not just as agriculture, but as a strategic pillar for Ghana’s economic future.

"This Expo is not just about selling fruits and vegetables," he said. "It is about building futures." He described the Expo as a harvest of ideas, technologies, and partnerships that must redefine how Ghana is seen in the global green economy.

Mr. Korboe decried the persistent post-harvest losses of over 30% due to inadequate infrastructure and fragmented value chains, and questioned why Ghana, despite its rich agro-ecological endowment, was not leading in global horticultural trade valued at over $320 billion by 2030.

He spotlighted practical innovations—from drip irrigation to blockchain traceability and solar-powered cold storage—as necessities, not luxuries. "Why not Ghana? Why not now?" he challenged the audience.

Emphasizing the synergy between horticulture and the proposed 24-Hour Economy, Mr. Korboe painted a vivid picture of an around-the-clock agribusiness value chain—from night-time irrigation to real-time exports. He described the 24-Hour Economy as one of the most transformative policy directions of our time and positioned horticulture as the prime candidate to benefit.

“A 24-Hour Agribusiness Economy will not only increase output; it will create quality jobs and radically enhance Ghana’s competitiveness,” he stated.

Mr. Korboe also celebrated ongoing government interventions, including President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to revamp the Bupe Shea Nut Processing Factory. He cited this as a shining example of agro-industrialization transforming both exports and communities. According to him, Ghana’s largest shea factory now exports 23,000 metric tons of high-grade shea butter to Sweden annually.

He further lauded the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), EXIM Bank, Agrocity, and other partners for their strategic support, while urging banks to move beyond “vault mentality” and finance agribusiness ideas, not just assets.

“This Expo is for the woman farmer in Berekum, the graduate in Bupe, the entrepreneur in Mfantseman, and the visionary girl in Keta,” he declared.

Korboe also announced progress on eight value chains being driven through the Chief of Staff’s office in collaboration with the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture. The first intervention is already underway, he said, and commended Mr. Julius Debrah and Mr. Sylvester Mensah for their behind-the-scenes work in making this possible.

He ended with a rallying call to transform Ghana’s green potential into golden opportunity and to “build a 24-Hour Horticulture Economy where no idea sleeps, no produce rots, and no dream is left behind.”