In September, the European Union further restricted the import of fruit and vegetables from Ghana. The volume of the country's fruit and vegetable exports has already declined significantly in recent years.
The latest restrictions imposed were introduced because of health concerns after bacterial contamination and pesticide residues were found in the goods. Incorrect procedures used in the cultivation, harvesting, handling and storage have led to the shipments failing the quality tests, reports Business in Ghana, pointing out that in the 1990's the country was shipping 30 to 40 tonnes of vegetables to Europe, while in October this year it only reached 4-5 tonnes.
The country's most exported vegetables are chilli peppers, okra (Hibiscus esculentus), bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and aubergines. Great Britain traditionally receives the largest volume of chillies, with 1.5-3 thousand tonnes per year. Vegetable exports to the European Union before 2008 were worth 7 million dollars per year, but last year they only reached half of that.
