Ghana is seeking to expand domestic palm oil production capacity and reduce an estimated production deficit of about 150,000 metric tonnes, as the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) engages Thai investors on large-scale agricultural development in the country’s oil palm sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of the TCDA, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, received a high-level delegation from Thailand led by Mrs Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs Division, alongside H.E. Thirapath Mongkolnavin, Ambassador-Designate of Thailand to Ghana.
Discussions centred on proposed investment collaboration in Ghana’s oil palm industry, including a plan by the Thai delegation to support the establishment of a 12,000-hectare oil palm plantation and a processing facility to strengthen value addition and improve efficiency across the supply chain.
Okrah noted that the initiative aligns “with the National Oil Palm Policy championed by H.E. John Dramani Mahama, which seeks to establish 100,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations nationwide”. He described the engagement as consistent with efforts to “bridge production gaps” in the sector while deepening private sector participation in agro-industrial expansion.
He further indicated that Ghana’s current supply shortfall presents both a challenge and an opportunity for structured investment, particularly in scaling up cultivation, processing capacity, and downstream industrial uses of palm oil.
The Thai delegation reportedly expressed interest in technical and investment cooperation, including technology transfer and the development of integrated production systems. The engagement also explored broader agricultural collaboration between Ghana and Thailand within the tree crop value chain.
According to the TCDA, the discussions form part of ongoing “efforts to support the sustainable growth and competitiveness of Ghana’s oil palm sector while creating employment opportunities and enhancing rural economic development”.
