Upgrading business competences among SME entrepreneurs in Ghana’s horticultural and cocoa products value chains

The demand for fresh and processed food in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa is increasing due to population growth, a growing middle class, and a growing urban population. Moreover, European demand for high quality fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, and for specialty chocolate continues to be very high. Yet, Ghana’s food processing sector is underdeveloped. One of the bottlenecks for all SMEs is to upgrade their business towards international or European standards, which is conditional to serve the domestic market, serve similar markets in West Africa and beyond, and be potentially attractive partners to European companies.

This TMT project addressed these challenges by supporting the development of demand-driven value chains, where agri-food processors and manufacturers know and set the supply standards. The training sessions were focused on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the horticultural and cocoa products sectors. The custom tailored training focused on:

• Value chain analysis: leading the value chain, managing vertical and horizontal collaborations, and with the explicit objective of local value addition.
• Agribusiness development: key business capabilities such as sound financial management, bankable business proposal development, marketing, and meeting modern quality standards.
• Export: Exporting in respect of Africa itself and of Europe. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers new importing and marketing opportunities for Ghana’s horticultural and cocoa products.  

At the end of the TMT, the group of entrepreneurs in the horticultural and cocoa value-addition sectors that took part in the TMT have improved their entrepreneurial capabilities. The overall goal of the project was to contribute to enhanced food & nutrition security, by supporting small and medium-sized agri-business owners to raise the efficiency and quality level of their respective value chains.

This project is managed by Veerle Barten, Project Consultant at MSM’s Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The project will run from September 2023 until August 2024.

Project news
Empowering Ghanaian SMEs in Horticulture and Chocolate with new Training Programme