FDA COLLABORATES WITH WFP AND GEA TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR 30 MSMEs

In line with the President's agenda for industrialisation of Ghana, which includes development of small and medium-scale enterprises, and the FDA's mandate to protect public health by ensuring the availability of safe and quality food on the Ghanaian market, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Thursday 6 October 2021 presented some essential items to 30 selected cottage/micro cereal processors to enhance the production of processed cereal.

FDA CEO, Mrs Delese Darko (left) handing over a certificate to one of the cereal processors

The items donated with support from the World Food Programme Ghana (WFP), comprised of 1000 pouches for packaging, sealing machines, digital weighing scales, date stamps and plastic files for record keeping.

The 30 cereal processors selected for training with the support of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), were taken through a series of capacity building workshops run by the FDA as part of its Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS). This 3-stage Scheme is intended to support cottage/micro, small and medium scale enterprises to meet the Authority's regulatory requirements for food registration.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FDA, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko addressing the beneficiaries, said the presentation of the items and the training of the processors, is a firm indication of Authority's strong commitment to support the development and growth of local industries.

Mrs Darko stated that under the PLS, local manufacturers will gradually obtain the needed skills and support to help them produce high quality products that can effectively compete with similar imported products on the Ghanaian market and even sell beyond our borders. This, she said, is especially important as the country works towards the operationalisation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agenda (AFCTA).

The CEO announced that the Authority has to date, registered a total of 1,522 food and cosmetic products and licensed 527 food and cosmetic manufacturing facilities since the Progressive Licensing Scheme was launced in June 2020. She added that with the assured support of the GEA, WFP and other partners, the FDA is committed to expanding this Scheme to other regulated products.

Representing the Ag. Country Director of the World Food Program (WFP), Madam Patience Asiedu, Head of Food Nutrition stated that the WFP is committed to supporting efficient, resilient and inclusive food systems in Ghana not only to provide good nutrition to the entire population but also to improve livelihoods of actors along the food value chain especially women. She therefore noted, that, the WFP will continue to support government's initiatives such as the FDA's PLS in order to meet the Agenda 2030 objective of providing high quality food for all.

The Ghana Enterprise Agency on their part urged the cottage/small scale food processors to take advantage of the PLS to ensure that their products and facilities meet the necessary requirements to obtain market authorization. Madam Philomina Norman, Head of Women Enterprises Development representing the CEO of GEA, indicated that the GEA and FDA will continue to work earnestly towards the realization of Ghana's industrialization agenda.

A beneficiary of the Scheme, Ms. Victoria Korang of Mizpah Foods on behalf of the beneficiaries thanked the FDA and its partners for their immense support and said that the knowledge acquired during their training would be applied in the course of their manufacturing activities in order to ensure that their food products meet all the quality and safety standards.