pThe Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ms Afua Asabea Asare has said they will launch a programme on Youth in Export for potential young people who desire to venture into the export industry.
According to her, the programme which is likely to take off in the second quarter of 2019 will be opened to all young people who are determined to make some strides in the export sector.
Ms Asabea Asare disclosed this to the media during a familiarisation tour of the Eastern Region.
The tour formed part of the CEO’s planned regional visits to know their operations and meet exporters, producers, farmer-based organisations and outgrowers to ascertain the challenges confronting the exporters in the regions.
This she said would afford her the opportunity to be better informed in drawing up policies and programmes for the Authority and all relevant stakeholders.
Ms Asabea Asare said, under the programme, her outfit had engaged some farmers and exporters who are ready to mentor the youth and give them some space to also produce their own product for the international market.
”We are going round talking to the already established exporters to tell them about this project and how they can be part of it and help in the nurturing of young people for work in the export sector , especially in the agriculture, craft and other areas,” she said.
The CEO of Golden Riverside Limited, Mr Solomon Wiafe Ntow, who is into the production of pineapples for export, encouraged the youth and especially graduates to take agriculture as a serious business.
He said there were several opportunities associated with farming and indicated he had been adjudged twice as the best pineapple farmer for the Akuapem South municipality in 2007 and 2011 and the national best pineapple farmer for 2016.
He said some of the youth are scared of starting with farming, but advised them to start in a small way and gradually scale it up and begin to reap the benefits. GNA
