By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, Nov. 24, GNA - The Second Lady, Hajia Samira Bawumia will on December 2, launch the maiden edition of the World Shea Expo at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.
The Expo, which will bring partners within the value chain such as processors, women pickers, farmers, researchers, aggregators, various associations and women groups, financial institutions, is aimed at promoting the product and creating both local and international markets for businesses.
Mr Rashid Zakaria, the Chief Executive Officer of Savannah Golden Tree Limited, told the GNA ahead of the Expo that the event was to showcase Ghana’s Shea-nut Industry to the world market and that, the country has the best quality Sheanut and processed butter in sub-region.
The launch will be held under the theme: “Repositioning the Shea Industry to Accelerate Ghana’s Export Diversification Agenda within the context of Ghana Beyond Aid.”
He said it was to publicly recognise the efforts and contributions of women, youth and the small to medium enterprises who dedicate their time to pick less than 40 per cent of nuts in the bush annually and to also bring to forth the extensive research work that has been done by the Research Station Department of Cocobod to reduce the gestation period of the Shea tree.
Mr Rashid said the Expo was also to promote and highlight the contributions of Shea butter in the development of the rural women of the seven Northern Ecological Zones that have the comparative advantage over the production and processing of Shea nuts and butter for the International Market.
“It is to bring together the business community, pharmaceutical companies, the cosmetic industry, investors, processing companies, government, development Partners and researchers to boost and unearth the economic potentials of this sector,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer said the expected outputs of the Expo are to engage stakeholders in the industry on how to ensure that bulk of the nuts about (60 per cent) that were left in the bush were picked and processed to meet the increasing demand of the markets.
He said stakeholders would also discuss the dangers women go through in picking the nuts and therefore needs adequate protection in order to go about their normal business of picking the nuts with fear of snake bites and other reptile attacks.
He said the Expo would also create visibility for the Shea-nut Sector and the need to attract more women and youth in to sector in order to achieve the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.
For the expected outcomes, Mr Rashid said, it seeks to increase entrepreneurship, investment, job and wealth creation opportunities for exhibitors, women and youth in the Shea Sector.
“It is to lead in poverty alleviation through creation of wealth within the period, develop the region’s economy as well as increase Ghana’s GDP through international participation,” he added.
Mr Rashid said the Expo would serve as a platform for technology transfer through seminars and Business to Business sessions and opportunity for coaching and mentoring by large businesses to the medium, small and cooperative businesses, quality branding and packaging to meet international standards and, discuss fair-trade issues.
Organisers say they are rebranding the Shea as a luxury commodity and it is not aid they are aiming at but rather sustainable livelihood that will uplift the lives of people relying on the products and move forward the Shea industry as a whole.
The World Shea Expo will provide the right footing and gear to kick start a rapid and transformational economic growth through export earnings especially when the New Crop Authority is passed by Parliament.
It is in the light this that the Savannah Golden Tree Limited is collaborating with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council and the other four Regional Coordinating Councils (Savannah Region, North East Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region) to organize the Maiden Shea Expo in Ghana.
The main event will take place in Tamale at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium from April 22 – 25th, 2020.
Other collaborating institutions are the Northern Development Authority, COCOBOD, EXIMBANK, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the National Board for Small Scale Industry, Ministries of Food and Agriculture and Local Government and Rural Development and the Coffee Cocoa Farmers and Shea Butter Union.
GNA
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