The British High Commission in Ghana is considering the option of supporting the production of organic products such as ‘Alata Samina‘ for export to UK markets.
The High Commission says the demand for organic soaps on the British market is high, hence the need for proper packaging to break onto the market.
British High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Harriet Thompson, who gave the assurance during a familiarization tour of the Awutu Senya West district in the Central Region, said she is committed to visiting the entire country to be acquainted with happenings in the various regions.
She indicated that her visit to the Awutu Bawjiase Alata Samina organic production base will also help position the factory for the British market, hence the need for them to support the production of the organic soap to meet the required standards for the UK market.
“My aim is to visit every region of Ghana, and I am delighted to be visiting this district. I am also here to learn about the challenges facing the communities and the opportunities in the community. One of the programs that the High Commission runs is a livelihood program which looks at how we can grow small businesses like the alata samina production and how they can make an impact on the British market. The benefits of the organic products are enormous as people in the UK have recognized their benefits,” the British High Commissioner told Citi News.
For producers of alata samina in the Awutu Bawjiase enclave, financial support is needed to enlarge their frontiers across the borders of the country.
They lament that, apart from financial support, they also want to mechanise their production by moving from the use of firewood to gas, which in the end will reduce air pollution.
There have been instances where the acquisition of palm kernel and coconut oil, which are the raw material base in the production of organic soap, are scarce on the market, halting their operations.
“The difficulty is that the acquisition of raw material base is sometimes scarce, and it makes it difficult for us to work. The high cost of materials is also a disadvantage to our business. It is about time we get a collaboration with the western world to support us like the British High Commission, and we are hoping for better collaborations to help us market our products in the British market,” Abdul Jeiyl Yaqub Taiwo one of the producers of the alata samina soap said.
Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West Gizella Tetteh Agbotui says she is hopeful the visit by the High Commissioner to the area will yield results, especially in the area of support for small businesses.
“We met with the British High Commission sometime in Parliament, and this was the beginning of greater things to come. They began with their classroom connect program, and they trained over one hundred teachers in twenty schools in the constituency. So the High Commissioner scheduled a visit to the constituency and that is what we are seeing now. But I am optimistic that her visit will benefit the constituency and also provide a platform for the local producers of Alata Samina who are anxious to see their products break into the UK market. There are a lot of women engaged in this business and being a woman, am sure she will help the small businesses thrive,” the Member of Parliament for the area, Gizella Tetteh Agbotui, told Citi News.
The High Commissioner later paid a courtesy call on the Chiefs and People of Awutu Traditional Council and the Awutu Winton Senior High School to get better acquainted with their operations.