Cashew Watch Ghana Seeks Partnership with TCDA to Advance Cashew Sector Development

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Cashew Watch Ghana Seeks Partnership with TCDA to Advance Cashew Sector Development

The leadership of Cashew Watch Ghana, led by its National Coordinator, has called on the Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Dr Andy Osei Okrah, to explore opportunities for collaboration aimed at promoting the sustainable development of Ghana’s cashew sector.
According to the leadership of Cashew Watch Ghana, strengthening collaboration with TCDA is essential to advancing key priorities within the cashew value chain, including improving productivity, supporting smallholder farmers, enhancing market access, and promoting policy advocacy for the growth of the industry. The proposed partnership would also help amplify the voices of cashew farmers and stakeholders while supporting government efforts to develop the tree crops sector as a major contributor to Ghana’s agricultural transformation and economic diversification.
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Cashew Watch Ghana expressed its readiness to work closely with TCDA through joint advocacy, farmer capacity-building initiatives, policy dialogue, and stakeholder engagement activities to ensure that the cashew industry delivers improved livelihoods for farmers and contributes significantly to national development.
Under the collaboration, TCDA and Cashew Watch Ghana will educate key actors in the value chain, including farmers, aggregators, processors and exporters on issues such as pricing systems, improved production practices, value addition, job creation and trade regulations.
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The National Coordinator, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, called on TCDA to remain committed to implementing policies and strategies aimed at transforming the cashew sector.
He noted that the industry remains a critical source of livelihood for thousands of rural households and said farmers were looking forward to meaningful reforms that would improve incomes and strengthen the sector.
According to Mr Ahenu, the global market value of cashew is projected to reach about $10 billion by 2030, up from an estimated $7 billion currently.
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“Ghana can generate significantly more foreign exchange from cashew if the government pays greater attention to the sector and puts in place the necessary measures to increase productivity,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of TCDA, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, commended the advocacy efforts of Cashew Watch Ghana and other civil society groups supporting the tree crops sector. He said stronger collaboration among stakeholders was critical to developing Ghana’s non-traditional export commodities, increasing foreign exchange earnings and creating employment opportunities.
TCDA was established under the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 (Act 1010) to regulate and promote the production, processing and trade of six major tree crops cashew, shea, mango, coconut, rubber and oil palm, as part of Ghana’s strategy to diversify agricultural exports.
Cashew has emerged as one of Ghana’s most important non-traditional export crops, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of smallholder farmers, particularly in the Bono Region, Bono East Region, Northern Region and Savannah Region. The crop is also widely viewed as a major opportunity for job creation through local processing and value addition.
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However, some farmers have recently called for the establishment of a separate board dedicated solely to cashew, similar to the structure under which the Ghana Cocoa Board regulates the cocoa industry.
Responding to the proposal, Dr. Okrah said creating a new institution separate from TCDA would not necessarily resolve the challenges facing the cashew sector.
“All the proposals by the farmers are already enshrined in the TCDA Act. The most important thing now is how to implement them, not the formation of a separate board,” he said.
He urged farmers to exercise restraint, noting that the government, through the Authority, is implementing measures to strengthen the industry.
These include the distribution of free improved cashew seedlings to boost production, as well as the provision of farm tools and equipment, including chainsaw machines for pruning to improve farm management and productivity.
Dr. Okrah said continued collaboration with farmer groups, civil society organisations and private sector actors would help address structural challenges in the industry and position Ghana’s cashew sector for long-term growth.
Touching on value addition, he said plans were far advanced to introduce comprehensive measures to enhance domestic processing and discourage the excessive export of raw cashew nuts. He added that the initiative would also promote the processing of cashew apples, which are often left to rot due to limited skills, technology and equipment among producers.
He therefore urged stakeholders across the value chain, particularly farmers, to embrace local processing in order to create jobs and support the country’s broader industrialisation agenda.

Source: WatchGhana.Com