Fruit processing boosts Ghana's fruit industry
The establishment of fruit drying companies in parts of Ghana is tackling the problem of post harves…The establishment of fruit drying companies in parts of Ghana is tackling the problem of post harvest losses, due to poor storage facilities. It is estimated that about a third of farm produce in Ghana goes to waste due to lack of or poor storage facilities and other post-harvest issues.
It is for this reason that many have called for value addition especially in the fruit sector. Companies like Blue Skies, HPW Fresh & Dry, Peelco, and Pinora all sprung up in the wake of this call.
These companies make fruit juices from the produce while others export the raw fruit abroad especially to Europe. However, the recent unpredictability in the sector meant some began producing dried fruits for export. Such as the Swiss company, HPW Fresh & Dry Limited.
The company has been active in Ghana for the past 15 years, exporting fresh fruits to Europe, but started the fruit drying business in 2011 and has since become a leader in the field of dry fruit production focusing on pineapple, mango and coconut.
The company currently processes over 9,500 tonnes of fresh fruit into dried fruit and is working together with over 400 small to large farms in the Adeiso area of the Eastern Region.
Beside dried fruits, HPW Fresh & Dry produces fruit bars and fruit leather.