The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) is intensifying efforts to expand value addition across Ghana’s cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea sectors.
Dr Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TCDA, said the Authority was leading efforts to shift Ghana from exporting raw agricultural commodities towards processing, manufacturing, branding and producing higher-value products.
He said the strategy would create jobs, expand economic opportunities for women and young people, improve farmers’ incomes and ensure that a greater share of value generated from the tree crops sector remained in Ghana.
Dr Okrah stated this at a ceremony to launch and distribute farming inputs to tree crop farmers at Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region.
He said the cashew sector presented significant opportunities for value addition, including the commercial utilisation of cashew apples alongside raw cashew nuts.
Similar opportunities, he noted, existed across the other strategic tree crops through processing, product development and market expansion.
Dr Okrah said the Authority had strengthened collaboration with stakeholders in the oil palm sector to build partnerships, translate policies into practical interventions and unlock the industry’s potential.
He announced that the Government was securing a $500 million integrated financing window from the World Bank to support the cultivation of 100,000 hectares of oil palm plantations.
The project, scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2032, is expected to contribute to expanding domestic oil palm production and support the development of related processing industries.
Dr Okrah said the TCDA was also concerned about the growing impact of climate change, pests and diseases on tree crop production.
He cited the recent emergence of powdery mildew in some cashew-producing areas, saying the development underscored the need for early detection, research, farmer education and timely intervention.
The Authority, he said, would continue collaborating with research institutions, development partners, farmer organisations, private-sector companies and local government structures to strengthen extension services, research and technology transfer across the six strategic tree crops.
Another key priority, Dr Okrah said, was improving data collection and traceability across the tree crops value chain.
He explained that effective development of the sector required reliable information on farmers, farms, production, trade and markets.
The TCDA was, therefore, strengthening farmer registration, farm mapping and traceability systems to improve planning, service delivery, transparency and accountability across the value chain.
Dr Okrah said the Authority’s vision was to build a tree crops sector that was productive, resilient, competitive and inclusive, while creating sustainable livelihoods and industrial opportunities for present and future generations.
He called on traditional authorities, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, farmer organisations, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to continue supporting the national tree crops development agenda.
