Fruit processing company Blue Skies Products (Ghana) Limited has called on the Ghanaian media to more deliberately spotlight businesses that are creating jobs, supporting communities, and operating to high ethical standards, arguing that such coverage is as important to national development as holding wrongdoers to account.
The appeal came during a media tour of the company’s production facility in Doboro, near Nsawam, organised by the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) to mark World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 4.
Alistair Djimatey, Head of Corporate Affairs and Foundation at Blue Skies, told journalists that the media narrative too often gravitates toward failures while businesses doing the right thing go unrecognised. “Too often, the media narrative focuses on what is going wrong. But there are many businesses doing the right things — creating jobs, supporting communities, and maintaining high standards. These are the stories that also deserve to be told,” he said.
Djimatey connected the company’s operations directly to this year’s WPFD theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace,” arguing that employment and economic inclusion are foundations of social stability. At peak production seasons, Blue Skies employs up to 5,000 workers, providing livelihoods across several districts in the Eastern Region.
The company’s core model, described as “adding value at source,” involves cutting, preparing, and packaging fresh fruit products in Ghana for export to major European retailers including Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, and Albert Heijn, rather than shipping raw produce abroad for processing. Djimatey said this approach directly addresses economic disparities that can fuel social unrest.
On the environment, he cited the company’s Fresh Pack initiative, which is developing alternatives to plastic mulch in pineapple farming, and a broader commitment to reaching net-zero emissions.
Both journalism bodies present welcomed the call. Suleiman Mustapha, National Organising Secretary of the GJA, pledged support for Blue Skies’ advocacy, noting that responsible businesses like it help contain unemployment and contribute to government tax revenues. The Acting President of IFEJ, Roger Agana, said amplifying companies that create local value and operate transparently falls squarely within the remit of financial and economic journalism.
Djimatey also identified barriers requiring sustained media attention, among them high energy costs, land encroachment by estate developers, and a sugar tax policy that groups natural fruit juices with sweetened beverages. He pointed to the difficulty of expanding within Africa, noting that while the company established a presence in Greece within six months, it has spent a decade attempting to enter the Nigerian market.
Blue Skies was founded in 1998 by British entrepreneur Anthony Pile and has since grown into one of West Africa’s leading agro-processing exporters.
