Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), has called for greater investment in local rubber processing and manufacturing as Ghana seeks to deepen value addition, create jobs and expand export earnings under the government’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation (AET) Agenda.
The appeal came during a meeting with representatives of Xiamen ITG Materials Co., Ltd., a major Chinese company involved in natural rubber supply chains and tyre manufacturing, as the two sides explored investment opportunities within Ghana’s growing rubber industry.
At the engagement, Osei Okrah stressed that while Ghana continues to benefit from the export of Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), the country must move beyond exporting semi-processed products and position itself higher up the value chain. He encouraged the Chinese firm to consider establishing local processing and manufacturing facilities capable of converting TSR into higher-value products, including vehicle tyres, medical gloves and other industrial rubber products.
According to him, such investments would advance the AET Agenda by “adding value to raw tree crop commodities, creating jobs, boosting exports, and driving industrialization”.
He further disclosed that the government is pursuing plans to increase Ghana’s rubber production to 1.1 million metric tonnes by 2030 through the reclamation of degraded lands and other productivity-enhancing interventions aimed at strengthening the sector’s long-term competitiveness.
The discussions also provided an opportunity for the Xiamen ITG Materials delegation to gain a deeper understanding of Ghana’s rubber industry and its growth prospects.
Osei Okrah stressed Ghana’s political stability as an “investor-friendly environment” supported by TCDA’s regulatory framework, which promotes transparency, sustainability and competitiveness across the rubber value chain.
TSR remains a critical raw material for the global manufacturing industry, particularly in tyre production and other industrial applications, making it a strategic commodity in Ghana’s efforts to expand its non-traditional export base.
The Chinese delegation welcomed the prospects presented during the meeting and expressed interest in exploring long-term partnerships and investment opportunities within Ghana’s rubber industry, highlighting potential momentum for efforts to attract foreign direct investment into the country’s emerging rubber manufacturing ecosystem.
