Government has renewed calls for stronger financing support and strategic partnerships to accelerate growth in cashew and oil palm industries, pushing to deepen industrialization and expand agricultural exports.
Speaking at a roundtable dialogue on financing the cashew and oil palm value chains , Deputy Trade Minister Sampson Ahi said the government is shifting focus from increasing raw agricultural output toward building an integrated agribusiness manufacturing ecosystem.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the minister, Ahi said the initiative forms part of the government’s “Industrial Reset” agenda aimed at positioning the country as a manufacturing hub in West Africa while creating jobs and supporting inclusive economic growth.“Our Industrial Reset is no longer just a blueprint; it is an active transformation of our productive sectors,” he stated.
According to Ahi, the cashew and oil palm industries could help stabilize the local currency, narrow the rural-urban income gap and significantly increase export earnings.
He cited projections by the Tree Crop Development Authority showing Ghana’s cashew industry alone could generate more than $660 million annually through improved regulation, processing infrastructure and value addition.However, he identified limited access to affordable long-term financing as a major obstacle to growth across the value chains.
Ahi said the long gestation periods associated with tree crops, high perceived risks, collateral constraints and unsuitable lending models have slowed investment in plantations, mechanization, processing plants and market infrastructure.
“To our partners in the financial sector, let me be clear: investing in these value chains is not merely Agri-lending. It is an investment in high-growth manufacturing,” he stressed. He urged banks, insurers and development partners to support innovative financing mechanisms, including longer-tenor loans, risk-sharing arrangements and input credit schemes tailored to tree crop production.
“We need actionable commitments, innovative products for smallholders, public-private partnerships for processing infrastructure and policy recommendations that can be fast-tracked,” he said. Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crop Development Authority Andy Okrah said the authority remains committed to promoting sustainable investment and growth in the cashew and oil palm sectors.
Okrah said the development of both industries is critical to the country’s industrialization and export diversification strategy, adding that the authority is implementing policies and regulatory interventions to strengthen value chains, improve productivity and attract investment into processing.
He also called for stronger institutional collaboration and innovative financing models to support farmers, processors, exporters and aggregators. The event brought together representatives from the Bank of Ghana, financial institutions, insurers, development partners and private-sector operators within the cashew and oil palm industries.
Discussions focused on financing reforms, risk-sharing mechanisms and policy interventions aimed at unlocking private investment and strengthening the country’s agribusiness ecosystem.
