Mr. Joe Okoh Agyeman, a pawpaw and pepper farmer at the Akuapem North district in the Eastern region who doubles as an exporter of the products has told Rite FM that though pawpaw farming is a profitable business, it still comes with a lot of risks one has to bear.
Mr. Agyeman who was speaking on the Akuafo Se Sen segment of the Rite Morning Ride said although pawpaw farming is quite difficult, it’s not as difficult as cultivating other crops, adding that the most important demand is to ensure good farming practices to ensure that the plants are in the best of condition.
The pawpaw farmer who took time to explain some of the procedures in pawpaw farming also took time to spell out some challenges that confront their crops. These he noted include the problems of pests and diseases. He said though they have to battle these diseases, it’s still not as bad as those suffered by tomatoes and watermelon crops.
He added that though they plant both local and exotic breeds, they focus more on the local breeds which is what most consumers prefer.
On the exportation, Mr. Agyeman noted that before an agent takes the pawpaw for export, he first of all conducts a thorough inspection to ensure that it comes with no diseases such as black pod.
He concluded that since they have no storage facilities, they always hope to find an exporter as quickly as possible in order to prevent the crops from going bad.
Source: ritefmonline.org
