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Rt Rev Forson of the Tema Diocese of the Methodist church cutting a tape to officially open the retail outlet
Rt Rev Forson of the Tema Diocese of the Methodist church cutting a tape to officially open the retail outlet

Farmers market takes off

Whyte bage Limited, has opened The Farmer’s Market, a fruits and vegetable retail and distribution outlet at Community 11 in Tema  which will serve as a one-stop-shop for fresh produce  as well as imported fruits for consumers.

The company, which also cultivates fruits and vegetables for the export market, has presently engaged some 30,000 local vegetable outgrowers who are into the cultivation of vegetables namely tomatoes, carrot, cabbage, onions, lettuce, cauliflower, among others, to serve the company’s distribution network.

The Retail Manager of the company, Mr Bernard Amponsah, speaking at a ceremony to officially open the retail outlet said the company was poised to become  a household name in the supply of fruits and vegetables in the country.

He said with post-harvest loss management being a major challenge for farmers in the country, the company had acquired refrigerated vans for the transportation of the vegetables from farms to the storage centre and distribution points.

Mr Amponsah also encouraged Ghanaians to adopt healthy eating habits as many diseases could be attributed to bad eating habits.

“Thankfully, we have an increased awareness being created about the need to eat right to enjoy a healthy life and we believe the Farmer’s Market will serve that purpose where the general public can walk in and shop for their favourite fruits and vegetables in a conducive environment”, Mr Amponsah said.

Safety

While expressing concern about the manner in which vegetables are sometimes produced in many parts of the country using water from unknown sources , Mr Amponsah advised the public to rather purchase their preferred vegetables and fruits from retail outlets since their safety could be guaranteed.

 “Some farmers cultivate fresh produce under unhygienic conditions including watering from dubious sources and the application of wrong pesticide and these could be potential health hazards to the consuming public”, Mr Amponsah noted.

Expansion

The Farmer’s Market, he said, would in the ensuing months open outlets in residential communities in parts of Accra as part of its expansion drive.

“We have already opened a retail point at Community 19, near the Accra Abattoir area to serve customers in Lashibi and parts of Spintex road, and we have also entered into a partnership with Santinos Meats to supply meat products at our stores”, Mr Amponsah stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of Whytebage, Mr Abeiku Whyte, for his part, indicated that while Ghana’s agricultural sector had many setbacks, people could still use such challenges as opportunities to create employment for themselves and others.

“The sector has the potential to create fortunes for many people. I am a perfect example because I turned the challenges into opportunities and the benefits have been enormous”, he said.

Mr Whyte expressed the hope that, the facility which he said  was moving into the establishment of a fruits and vegetable warehousing facility, would be an example to many young people to venture into the field of agriculture.

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