A National Association of Fish Processors and Traders (NAFPT), expected to promote growth in the fishing industry, has been inaugurated in Koforidua by the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama.
The about 1, 500 women, made up of fish mongers and traders, drawn from all the 10 regions of the country, will receive training in business skills, hygiene and quality control to check post harvest losses, which increases poverty among women in that sector.
Speaking at the ceremony last Tuesday, Mrs Mahama said currently, more than 400, 000 women were engaged in fish processing, which includes smoking, salting, and drying.
Despite their number and the critical role they play in the economy and providing nutrition, they have not been able to present a unified voice to influence policies at the regional, national and international levels.
"There already exist traditional, community-based associations of fish processors and traders across the country. However, these have not leveraged their numbers sufficiently to facilitate policy dialogues through which support can be delivered more effectively and to address their input, marketing and social welfare needs,” Mrs Mahama said.
Project
The NAFPT was jointly initiated by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Fisheries Commission and the West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme (WARFP)
The project ' Livelihoods Empowerment for Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture' is part of the phase one of a $53.80 million West Africa Regional Fisheries Project funded by the World Bank.
The WARFP took off in July, 2011 and will end in December, 2017.
Ms Sherry Ayitey, the sector Minister, announced that a micro-credit facility would be set up to support their work, a message which received thunderous cheers from the women.
She said the World Bank had already made some money available and suggestions from the women would be needed to help disburse the funds effectively.
The minister said the women would receive training in improved fish processing technologies.
"We shall be happy to see our women using these new technologies to produce fish that would be sold at our supermarkets and malls and also package it well possibly for export", she said.
A 10-member national executive of the association was sworn into office.
