Harvesting papayas is Lemeul Mantey’s livelihood. He’s determined to get the best out of his trees, which grow in the farming community of Nsawam, west of the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
To get the juiciest fruit, careful planning and preparation is vital.
“If you want to kill the weeds, you put on your knapsack sprayer, put in water and chemicals, take your protective clothes and then spray,” Mantey explains. “You kill all the weeds, that’s the practice.”
Ghana may not produce as many papayas (also known as pawpaw) as Nigeria, but the country was formerly a big exporter of the brightly colored commodity. These days, it is pineapple which is key for Ghanaian growers, who exported close to 46,000 tonnes in 2011.
Most agribusiness decisions are taken in bedrooms and not boardrooms…that needs to be changed if we want this sector to grow.
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With a solid business foundation, and the help of some good neighbors, these farmers are confident they will reap the rewards.
“If you can’t get inspired by these guys, you won’t be inspired by anything in your entire life,” says Kombase. “We need … to make sure that they grow their businesses, make a few dollars, but contribute a lot to the food security, not just in Ghana, but in Africa.”
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