Food Processors Derive Advantage From Competitiveness

The local Food processing industry in Ghana is still budding and requires boosting in order to meet required standards, offer consumers high quality products and owners good profit margins.

The food processing sector is largely found in the informal sector operating mainly as small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

In Ghana, readily available data on SMEs are scarce, but statistics from the Registrar General’s Department suggests that 92 percent of companies registered are SMEs providing about 85 per cent of employment and, contributing70 per cent to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The dispersion of SMEs promotes better distribution of income and generates additional value in raw materials and products.
Quality processing of food products that meet international standards for both local and foreign consumption is lacking in this sector.

Problems of unsuitable packaging materials, inadequate and effective packaging especially during transportation,as well as the high cost of raw materials hinder the progress of the food processing sector. The lack of low standards and specifications also cripple the industry which has great income generating potential for business owners.

To address some of the challenges confronting the sector, a Ghanaian food scientist Mavis Owureku-Asare, is empowering food processors with the necessary skills, know-hows, resources, knowledge to strategically position their products and attract local and international markets. Mrs Owurek-Asare has a wealth of experience in food product development and post harvest management (PHL) in the area of fruits and vegetables. She has worked both locally & internationally, and has gained knowledge in food standards such as in Codex Alimentarius, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Ghana standards.

She is also certified in Preventive Controls Course for Human Food (FSPCA).

She is currently a 2015 Borlaug LEAP fellow and visiting scholar at the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University in Indiana USA. As a fellow with the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) her research is gender responsive and focuses on promoting practical agricultural technologies and solutions which benefit smallholder farmers and improve livelihoods of women in Ghana.

Mavis is the CEO of Kasmalink Consult, a non- profit consultancy aimed at helping food processors position their products, boost production and stimulate demand. She works with small scale food processors on product formulation, food quality analysis, branding and food packaging to help create competitive advantage for them. She collaborates with a network of sponsors and research scientists who volunteer their time, expertise, and money to support these processors and entrepreneurs.She believes that given the opportunity & support and support, women can contribute substantially to the development of the food processing industry in Ghana.

She has worked on food products such as “sobolo” (Hibiscus drink), cereals such as “tombrown”,“shito” (pepper sauce), and some local snacks and confectioneries.She admits that the local food industry is a very lucrative one; and calls on Ghanaians to patronize locally processed foods which are more nutritious and healthier than imported foods.

“We can begin by feeding our families especially our children with some locally processed cereals and snacks such as “asana”, “nkati cake”, “kube toffee”and “adakoa”which is made from maize, groundnuts, spices and more highly nutritious than volumes of processed processed snacks imported into the country,”she says.

She stresses the need for capacity building for processors and is on a quest to promote the production and consumption of locally processed foods. She is calling on government and other stakeholders to take a strategic look at our local food industry by providing technical support for food processors in the industry,so they can produce healthier and more hygienic foods that appeal to consumers.
Cee ChoCho – an entrepreneurial couple of husband & wife, have been making plantain chips from ripe and unripe plantains since 2005. The production of Cee Chocho plantain chips started on a table top with a coal-pot, however after a few years in business the pace of production and sales have tremendously improved.

They plan on expanding and setting up in plantain growing areas so they can have direct access to plantain supply, thereby; reducing the cost incurred along the plantain value chain. High post-harvest losses occur along the plantain value chain when transporting plantain from production areas to the capital-Accra (where business is set up). During the plantain lean season(April to August) it is difficult to get plantain, and this affects production and profits. It is prudent to process when plantain is in bumper season so asto preserve its potential perishability & avoid unnecessary wastes losses.

Operating for over a decade, Mr Henry Nortey says coming into contact with Kasmalink Consult has improved their business and gained them the needed leverage to serve foreign markets.Sales were previously mainly local and they catered for domestic parties, funerals and conferences, etc.
Mr. Henry Nortey testifies to a domain expansion by meeting international industry specific standards and is now serving orders from the United States and Unite Kingdom.A days turnover roughly averages around GH¢300 – GH¢500.00 and on a good day GH¢500.00 – GH¢1,000.00.

The processes employed in the production of plantain chips are still mostly performed manually, labour intensive and time consuming.

There is the need for the mechanization of current processes as well as the putting up of storage facilities to manage the growing market for their products. Cee ChoCho is hoping to forge any partnership that will inject some capital into the business to acquire equipment that shred plantain so as to facilitate greater production to meet demand both locally and internationally.

Comfort Teye, a toffee seller says working with Kasmalink Consult has benefited her business immensely, noting: “My business was supported with product formulation, shelf life assessment, owned evaluation and labelling, which initially was non-existent”.

Teye, who was spotted by Mavis on the streets of Accra, emphasised that Kasmalink Consult created market opportunities and direct link to potential clients, so she no longer sells on the streets of Accra.
She wholesales her candies to other retailers who sell her products. Kasmalink also uses social media platformsto promote her business which helps boost income.

She now makes GHS 250-400 profit daily as compared to her previous daily earnings of GHS 20.
Empowering entrepreneurs with the required skills and assistance will help strengthen the local food sector and boost food production in Ghana.

Source: Samuel Hinneh