The EU-funded Investment Promotion and Business Linkages Project (Project) organised the participation of all its seven partner exporting companies at business-to-business meetings with importers in Cape Verde and Burkina Faso.
This followed exhaustive market research where products from all seven exporting companies were tested as far as potential interest and demand were concerned and import conditions are requirements identified. Exportable products ranged from breakfast cereals, granola, diet cookies to seasonings, spices, palm oil, premium virgin coconut oil, natural cocoa powder, raw gari and gari mix as well as cosmetics for different purposes.
A total of 10 importers – four in Cape Verde and six in Burkina Faso – were invited to the business-to-business meetings and reiterated their interest in most products. Subsequent negotiations led to tangible and encouraging results including:
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- 1 trial order.
- 4 commercial offer requests.
- 2 proposals to import as sole agents.
Prior to their participation at the business-to-business meetings, all Project partner exporting companies underwent a comprehensive Export Management Capacity Building Programme. They were trained in preparing “tool kits” with relevant information after feedback from the market research. The raining also allowed them to produce “roadmap” negotiating strategy.
Overall, this initiative confirms that Ghanian agri-products do have a certain export / commercial potential in, at least, the four ECOWAS countries: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Mali. It also demonstrated that defining and following a proper export strategy is something that most Ghanaian exporters still need to strengthen.
The technical assistance provided from the Project to the partner exporters confirms that further development work is needed be done. There is a need to make sure that agri- businesses are organised and managed consistently to meet demand from export markets in the region. Improvements in communication and dialogue which is a basis for negotiation skills is another relevant area where progress is required.
