{"id":625252,"date":"2019-05-26T11:17:20","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T11:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"
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\"Gov\u2019t<\/p>\n
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\"Gov\u2019t<\/figure>\n

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has placed an indefinite ban on the export of all leafy vegetables to the international market.<\/p>\n

Capsicum (green\/bell pepper),\u00a0Solanum and luffa have also been included in the ban which takes effect\u00a0from June 1, 2019.<\/p>\n

In a statement signed by the Director of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate, the ministry said the suspension was due to \u201cthe high level of local interceptions at the exit points.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the beginning of this year to date (23\/05\/2019), internal interceptions by our officers has risen to 120 and 20 for external notifications\u201d, the statement revealed<\/p>\n

It also noted that \u201cthe alarming rate of external notifications, and the new EU directives to all countries to re-provide dossiers to the EU on the management of harmful organisms on some of the above vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ghana has had to contend with bans on vegetable exports imposed by the European Union in recent times.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd as such, we are still on the red list and being monitored closely,\u201d the Ministry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are only five months into the second year, the number of notifications is increasing, and if we are not careful, the European Union will ban Ghana.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2018, the internal interceptions by Ministry of Food and Agriculture officers was 162 while external notifications were 53 \u201cdue to harmful organisms\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n