As part of efforts to streamline the activities in the oil palm sector, the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) has announced plans to register and license all actors in the oil palm value chain.
According to the authority mandated by law to regulate the tree crops sector in the country, this is a decisive move aimed at developing the oil palm industry which has great potential for the country.
William Agyapong Quaitoo, the Chief Executive Officer of TCDA explained that this exercise is expected to begin in the third week of August across the country.
He added that it is an opportunity for all actors in the oil palm value chain operating without the required license to regularize their activities. “The registration will start somewhere in the third week of August. We will have our registrants dotted around the country where oil palm is done and so we are calling that any actor must come and register to obtain the license to be able to do what you are doing,” the CEO announced.
He further explained that “if you are an actor within the oil palm value chain, you have been working all this while probably without recourse to the Tree Crop Development Authority. We are telling you that the Tree Crop Development Authority is an authority mandated by the government to oversee the development and regulation of that sector. The law says that you must register with us before you can do any of the activities in the value chain.”
He further indicated actors who register and obtain licenses from the authority stand the chance of enjoying numerous benefits. These benefits, Mr. Quaitoo says depend on the activities the actor is undertaking in the value chain.
“The benefits depend on what activities you are engaged in within the value chain of oil palm. Farmers stand the chance of getting free seedlings from the government. They can get good agronomy practices; that is extension services and subsidized fertilizer. An aggregator can warehouse management skills. If the aggregator has a warehouse infested with insects, Tree Crop Development Authority if you are registered and licensed, can come in to direct and guide you as to how you can combat those insects,” the CEO enumerated.
The move by the authority to streamline the sector is seen as a significant step towards creating a more robust and resilient oil palm industry in Ghana if properly implemented.
By bringing together all actors under a unified regulatory framework, the TCDA aims to unlock the full potential of the sector, ensuring that it remains a vital contributor to the country’s economy.
This move is also in line with an earlier call by the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) that there is a need for crucial institutions such as the TCDA to “provide much-needed structure and regulations to ensure that smallholders benefit from the value they create in Ghana’s oil palm sector.”
