The Blue Skies Foundation has performed a ground- breaking ceremony to commence the construction of a state-of-the-art training centre for mango farmers in Sunyani.
The foundation is the charitable arm of Blue Skies, a fruit juice company and the centre will offer specialised training, expertise and other resources to mango farmers, boost productivity and enhance the socio-economic livelihoods of the farmers.
It is putting up the facility with support from its retail giants, the Waitrose in the United Kingdom and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands.
Mr Alistair Djimatey, the Head of Foundation, and Corporate Affairs, Blue Skies, explained that the training centre demonstrated the foundation’s commitment to the small-holder farmers in the mango sector.
He said the foundation had implemented more than 180 community initiatives, including construction and renovation of schools, clinics, resource centres and boreholes spread across Ghana, Egypt, Senegal, Brazil, and South Africa to improve infrastructure in the underserved communities.
“Our organisation is also undertaking eight projects in 2025 with a significant focus on training and developing mango farmers”, he stated, saying the initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability within the agricultural sector to improve the economic well-being of the people.
The Joint Effort Enterprise (JEE) serves as a model for Blue Skies’ commitment to sustainable business practices, Mr Djimatey explained, saying the JEE had been essential for Blue Skies to effectively tackle emerging challenges and fostered innovation and profitability in the competitive market.
He said JEE consisted of three key components of a diverse society, a culture of respect, and a commitment to profit, working to ensure that “none of these elements are compromised”.
Mr Djimatey said, “this framework enables us to attract and retain top talent of conserving the resources necessary for producing high-quality products, satisfying customers, and generating the revenue that sustains our organization too.”
By Benjamin Akoto, GNA
