The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has launched a programme to distribute agricultural inputs and improved planting materials to tree-crop farmers in the Ashanti region as the government seeks to raise productivity and incomes in the sector.
The initiative was launched at Dufie Park in Mampong by TCDA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andy Osei Okrah and Daasebre Osei Bonsu III, Mamponghene.
The programme forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agricultural transformation agenda and is intended to improve farm productivity, promote sustainable production and strengthen value addition across Ghana’s tree-crops sector.
Beneficiary farmers will receive equipment and inputs including Wellington boots, motorbikes, tricycles, raincoats, pesticides, weedicides, cutlasses, reflector vests, headlamps, spraying machines and hand gloves.
Farmers will also receive quality seedlings of cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea for the planting season.
Speaking at the launch, Okrah said Ghana needs to move beyond increasing agricultural output and focus on developing competitive value chains that connect farm-level production to processing, manufacturing, branding and higher-value markets.
He said access to quality inputs, improved planting materials, appropriate technology, extension services and reliable markets would be critical to raising productivity and farmer incomes.
The initiative is focused on six strategic tree crops regulated by the TCDA, with Mampong authorities positioning the municipality as a potential hub for commercial cultivation and processing.
Daasebre Osei Bonsu III, who served as guest of honour, commended the TCDA for selecting Mampong for the launch and pledged the support of traditional authorities in providing suitable land for demonstration farms, commercial plantations and modern processing facilities.
The Mamponghene said the municipality’s extensive agricultural lands could support at least five of the six strategic tree crops regulated by the TCDA, creating opportunities for commercial agriculture, agro-processing and industrialisation.
Other officials at the ceremony included TCDA Board Chairman Professor William Oduro and Issifu Yakubu, Municipal Chief Executive for Mampong.
