Experts at a dedicated cashew session during the maiden Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition have called for sweeping reforms to promote local processing, expand access to finance and deepen value addition across Ghana’s cashew sector.
The Summit, organised by the Tree Crops Development Authority in partnership with the World Bank, the Bank of Ghana, GIZ and other stakeholders, opened in Accra. It was held under the theme: “Sustainable Growth through Tree Crops Investment: Resetting and Building Ghana’s Green Economy.”
The session focused exclusively on cashew, with policymakers, financiers and traditional leaders stressing the urgency of repositioning the crop as a driver of industrialisation.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader in Parliament, said developments in the cocoa sector highlighted the risks of overreliance on a single commodity and the need to diversify into other high-potential crops such as cashew.
“If supply exceeds demand, what happens? Price falls. That is basically what has brought us where we are,” he said, referencing ongoing volatility in the cocoa market.
He described cashew as “a strategic national asset” that supports more than 200,000 farmers and contributes significantly to export earnings.
However, he expressed concern that over 85 percent of Ghana’s raw cashew nuts are exported without processing.
“You produce cashew in Ghana, you put them in ships, you send them to India, they process it in India, then they put it back in the ship and bring it to your shores. How ridiculous,” he said, underscoring the missed opportunities for jobs, technology transfer and foreign exchange retention.
Mr Ayariga assured stakeholders that Parliament was prepared to support legislative and fiscal measures to encourage domestic processing, strengthen regulatory oversight and improve traceability within the cashew value chain.
Mr Sylvester Adinam Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export-Import Bank, said investment in tree crops must be viewed as a long-term economic transformation strategy rather than a narrow agricultural intervention.
“Investing in tree crops is not only a narrow agricultural agenda, it is an economic transformation agenda,” he said.
On cashew specifically, he noted that the greatest opportunities lie in processing, quality enhancement, branding and improved market access.
He indicated that Ghana Exim Bank was committed to developing affordable and patient financing models tailored to the long gestation periods associated with tree crops.
“Tree crops require patience. There is a time gap between investment and returns,” he explained, calling for financial structures that reflect the unique realities of perennial crop production.
Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, Okuapemhene, who chaired the session, also stressed the need for higher productivity, sustainable land use practices and customised financial products for farmers and processors.
“We can’t just lift our hands and say there is risk in financing smallholder farms. I disagree with that,” he said, urging banks and financial institutions to design solutions aligned with the dynamics of the cashew value chain.
He further emphasised the importance of sustainability and climate resilience, noting that responsible cashew cultivation could contribute to carbon sequestration and land restoration, aligning with Ghana’s broader green economy ambitions.
Participants at the session agreed that policy consistency, coordinated investment and stronger collaboration among stakeholders would be critical to positioning Ghana as a competitive cashew processing hub.
They maintained that without deliberate reforms in financing, regulation and value addition, Ghana would continue to forgo significant economic gains from one of its most promising tree crops.
