Blue Skies has been operating in Ghana since 1998. It started as a business idea to produce the freshest possible prepared fruit products for consumers in Europe. From a few kilograms of fresh cut pineapple, it expanded to become a multinational company employing over 3,000 people in West Africa and exporting around six thousand tonnes of finished product per annum to more than fourteen leading retailers throughout Europe. For more details, please visit www.blueskies.com
THE CHALLENGE
With much of Europe going under lockdown due to COVID-19, most airlines grounded their fleet and Blue Skies faced severe difficulties in exporting its finished products which are normally transported in passenger aircraft. With reduced links to its export markets, the company scaled back its operations from a seven-day a week to a four or five-day week, depending on the availability of cargo freighters (which were often flying to cities where Blue Skies did not have distribution hubs). In a matter of few weeks, Blues Skies had seen sales plummet, costs rocket and its supply chain in turmoil. As a result, the finances of the group were rapidly deteriorating.
PARTNERSHIPS AND IMPACT
- USAID awarded a $760,000 grant to Blue Skies as part of a support programme for companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The grant aimed at supporting exports and employment as air supply chains were being disrupted during the first few months of the pandemic in 2020.
- In return, Blue Skies supported agricultural development in Ghana through advanced payments/loans, agronomic support to control bacterial black spot, and the promotion of agriculture among the youth.
- Despite ongoing challenges in the supply chain, Blue Skies managed to find solutions to the export challenges and the company’s activities returned to similar pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
