Ginger: Togo has great, yet undertapped, potential

Agriculture

Wednesday, 03 April 2024 17:22

Ginger: Togo has great, yet undertapped, potential

(Togo First) - Togo produced around 64,000 tons of ginger per year on average in the past few years. According to the Ministry of Agriculture which disclosed the figure, most of the output comes from the Plateaux and Centrale regions, with an average yield of 10 to 20 tons per hectare of fresh rhizomes. In total, nearly 10,000 agricultural households are involved in its cultivation, mainly in these two regions (which respectively account for 66.39% and 20.36% of the total workforce).

Among the many partners that support the industry are the German cooperation and the MIFA. Several projects, such as the Kara Agropole, were set up to bolster the sector, and they helped push the total cultivated area from 930 hectares in 2021 to 1,218 hectares in 2023.

Despite this expansion, the size of the farms remains modest, with most farmers operating less than 0.25 hectares. In comparison, the number of large producers is estimated at around 250 across the entire territory. Such a situation impacts overall productivity and highlights the sector's potential for improvement.

In 2019, Togo exported a little over two tons (2,029 kg) of ginger, mostly to the European Union, the US, and Japan. These exports represented less than 1% of the global market. Meanwhile, the West African nation imported 197.6 t of ginger that same year.

Last February, an investment strategy for the sector was approved. Drawn by the Ministry of Agriculture, the strategy aims to better structure the sector and allow stakeholders to readily access lucrative markets. Ultimately, the goal is to ramp up the country’s output to 150,000 tons by 2028, with at least 75% of this volume processed.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.