As part of efforts to enhance Ghana’s position to fully benefit from the multi-billion-dollar coconut industry, the government has announced an initiative to distribute 3 million elite coconut seedlings to farmers across the country.
Dr. Peter Otokunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, told journalists that President John Dramani Mahama had directed the mass distribution as part of his broader vision to transform Ghana’s economy through agriculture, focusing on high-value, export-oriented commodities.
Ghana is currently cultivating about 90,000 hectares of coconut. The country plans to expand its coconut farmland to 120,000 hectares with this intervention, and to 150,000 hectares in the medium term. The elite seedlings to be distributed are high-yielding and well-suited for both local and export markets.
The move is expected to enable the country to increase its coconut production and as a result, improve its global market share.
Dr. Otokunor revealed that Ghana is currently ranked number 1 in Africa and 12 in the world, signifying the country’s prowess in coconut production.
Despite the country’s production levels, it does not mean much from the over 20 billion-dollar industry, which is projected to expand to $54 billion by 2033 with an annual growth of about 10%.
The intervention of seedling distribution to farmers is expected to increase yield and position the country to earn more from the coconut industry, which promises to be a force to reckon with when it comes to the potential to earn foreign exchange.
Delivering seedlings on behalf of President Mahama to some coconut farmers, the Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness noted that, “As we speak, coconut water alone is worth $5.7 billion annually, and Ghana stands well-positioned to tap heavily into this.”
“This is part of HE President John Dramani Mahama’s vision to transform our economy through agriculture, particularly focusing on exportable and tradable commodities,” he added.
He continued, “As a part of his vision, HE the President has directed that, to boost the coconut industry, we do an initiative to distribute 3 million seedlings to coconut farmers across the country so as to be able to increase our cultivable space of coconut from 90,000 hectares to 120,000 hectares. The medium-term vision is to move it to 150,000 hectares. Currently, we are doing 90,000 hectares. We hope that with these 3 million seedlings, we are able to move that to 110,000.”
Dr. Otokunor noted that countries around the world are moving aggressively to secure their place in the coconut economy. He cited the Philippines, the world’s fourth-largest producer, which recently embarked on a programme to distribute 50 million coconut seedlings.
In his view, Ghana has an advantage over most of the competitors since coconut grows everywhere, from the coastline to the savannah.
Beyond the fruit itself, the government is looking to leverage the broader value chain, especially industrial byproducts. The coconut meat and oil, currently valued globally at $5.2 billion, offer additional export opportunities. Dr. Otokunor also highlighted the role of coconut husk and shell in producing activated carbon, a critical input in various industries including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and environmental protection.
