The General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh, has said challenges in the countrys agriculture sector could hinder Ghanas access to the European Union (EU) market.

His comments follow parliament's ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU.

However, Mr Kareweh in an interview with Citi FM argued that the EU market has always been available to local producers but was quick to add that "market accessibility has to do with ones' competence, external trade measures or administrative measures that were imposed by at the point entry which by itself are not part of the agreement."

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He identified additional challenges such as production cost, internal production and administrative challenges that could affect the country's access to the EU market.

According to him, availability of the EU market alone “does not necessarily give advantage to Ghanaian producers or processors of agricultural produce to be able to access that market.”

“…so if you look at the production challenges within the country are such that they do not give advantage to Ghanaian producers on the account of the fact that there is now a market in the European Union.

“One should not expect increased access to the EU just because we have signed the [interim] EPA,” Mr Kareweh said.