The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has held a high-level stakeholder forum in Tema aimed at deepening awareness and ensuring compliance with its new directive governing the export of unprocessed rubber, cashew, and shea.
The forum brought together key actors in the tree crops value chain, including exporters, processors, farmers, security agencies, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies to discuss the legal and economic implications of TCDA’s mandate under Act 1010 and Legislative Instrument 2471.
Addressing participants, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, CEO of TCDA, emphasized that the directive, effective May 2, 2025, prohibits the export of raw rubber, cashew, or shea without written approval from the Authority.
“Our goal is not to penalize, but to educate, regulate, and coordinate,” Dr. Okrah said. “This is about ensuring that our local industries are prioritized before we allow any raw exports.”
He noted that Ghana lost over GH¢22.5 million in 2023/2024 due to unchecked rubber exports while local processors remained starved of raw materials. Without intervention, he warned, the country risks shutting down factories, losing jobs, and stalling its industrialization efforts.
Ghana’s six major rubber processing factories currently employ more than 1,400 people, a figure that could quadruple with a steady raw material supply and full operational capacity. “This is about building a 24-hour economy,” Dr. Okrah said. “Without regulation, we will lose even the jobs we have now.”
He called on registered exporters to engage with TCDA, declare their intent, and allow the Authority to assess national needs before granting export permits.
Supporting the directive, Dr. Ishmael Nii Amanor Dodoo of the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Exports Secretariat criticized the country’s continued export of raw materials, describing it as a barrier to sustainable development. “We spent US$637 million last year importing cosmetics that could have been produced locally from shea butter,” he noted.
Mr. Emmanuel Akwesi Owusu, President of the Association of Natural Rubber Actors of Ghana (ANRAC), welcomed the move, saying it has begun restoring confidence among financial institutions previously reluctant to fund rubber farming.
