Accra, Ghana, March 28, 2019//-World Bank Africa Vice President, Hafez Ghanem has visited two projects outside the Ghanaian capital Accra as part of his three-day working visit to Ghana.
The projects funded by the World Bank Group-Rosh Pinnah Farms, a Women in Agriculture Green House Farming project; and VegPro Ghana Limited, a leading Kenyan horticulture giant.
Dr Ghanem who was accompanied by the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Henry Kerali and senior officials of the bank first stopped at the Rosh Pinnah Farms at Natriku in the Dangbe West District of Greater Accra Region.
Speaking a mini-durbar in his honour, Dr Ghanem commended the 20-women group for their leadership, creativity and innovation which is driving the project to success.
Dr Ghanem noted that Rosh Pinnah Farms project is fighting poverty, reducing malnutrition and improving gender parity in the area.
He therefore assured the women that the World Bank would continue to support them to enable the project to expand and include more women for the overall benefit of the Ghanaian society.
Welcoming Dr Ghanem and his entourage to the project site, Madam Rose Vanderpuije, the founder of the Rosh Pinnah Farms, said the project was started in 2016 with sole aim of empowering women in the community.
“In 2016, we established a farm in Natriku under the care of 20 women to grow vegetables all year round using greenhouse drip irrigation technology”, she explained.
With assistance from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) we were given five Amiran Farmer Kits to grow tomatoes for the high-end market in Accra, Madam Vandapuije added.
In 2018, she noted that the group added poultry to the project and is producing organic free range antibiotic free eggs for health conscious clients in Accra. Currently, we sell 25kg of tomatoes, cucumber and organic eggs to our clients in Accra every month, Madam Vandapuije revealed.
“In 2019, we would add 300 coconut trees over a five acreage land which we intend exporting come 2022”.
Later, Dr Ghanem and his entourage were conducted around the Rosh Pinnah Farms before departing to the second project- VegPro Ghana Limited, a leading Kenyan horticulture giant which produces crops including chilies, butternut, avocado pear and baby corn at Fodzoku-Torgome in the Volta Region of Ghana.
The team was conducted around the company’s large plantation by its managing director, Gareth Wilkie.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
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