Mr Oliver Chassang, the Vice President of Compagnie Fruitiere in Ghana, a fruit cultivation and exporting company, has urged workers of the Golden Exotic Limited (GEL), a banana producing company, to stick to quality in the production line to meet the standards on the international markets. He said that would compel its customers, comprising 90 per cent in the European and 10 per cent in the West African markets to patronise Ghana’s bananas. Mr Chassang gave the advice at an Annual Delegates Conference of GEL/Banana Farm Fairtrade Premium Committee (FPC) at Akuse in the Eastern Region. ‘Quality comes with good relationship between workers and management team, which would inure to the benefit of the organisation,’ he said. He called for teamwork and commitment to fast track the company’s growth and ensure targets were met. Mr Geraud Terrise, the Operations Manager of the GEL, pledged the company’s commitment to continue to impact communities in the catchments area with socio-economic projects. These projects include provision of potable water, creche, primary school buildings, science laboratory, technical/vocational school, teachers and nurses’ bungalows. The beneficiary communities are Osuwem, Ayiborn, Nyapienya, Duffor, Adakorpe, and Lubuse in the Kasunya area of the Eastern Region. Mr Terrise stated that the GEL had become one of the largest suppliers of the Fairtrade organic bananas to Europe, however trends in the international market had become very challenging and demand for the fruit was not as encouraging as it used to be. He urged the workers to put in their best to safeguard the company’s investment and enhance profit, from which they would also benefit to take care of themselves and their families. The company would continue to provide sponsorship packages to non-governmental organisations to empower women with skills training while advancing interest-free loans to embark on small-scale businesses for enhanced livelihoods, Mr Terrise said. He congratulated the newly elected officers of FPC for assuming that position and urged them to actively participate in all activities for the common good of the workers they represent. Mr Felix Issuor Amekordze, the Chairman of FPC, urged members to redouble their efforts to achieve the desired goals. Awards were presented to outstanding workers over the period.
Source: Ghana News Agency