Ghana has the potential to generate at least US$12 billion annually from six key tree crops by 2030, the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has projected.
The crops—cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea—are being positioned under the Authority’s Vision 2030 strategy as alternative economic drivers beyond cocoa.
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“We are looking at an average of two billion dollars annually from each of these tree crops. Multiplied by six, we are talking about 12 billion dollars in revenues. With the necessary investment, we can even go beyond this target,” Dr Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of the TCDA, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
Dr Okrah said the Authority’s approach is anchored on expansion, credibility, visibility, and enforcement. Expansion, he explained, would focus on increasing farm acreage, improving yields, and strengthening value chains. Credibility involves positioning the TCDA as a centre of excellence, providing farmers with technical assistance, pest control services, and capacity-building.
He added that enhancing visibility was essential to attract investors and partners. “Many people do not know much about the Authority, so we are intentionally engaging stakeholders and the media, and building a strong corporate brand to draw both local and international investors,” he said.
To ensure effective regulation, he disclosed that monitoring teams had been set up to oversee production, enforce licensing, and clamp down on illicit activities across the value chains. “If we regulate the value chains properly, from rubber to oil palm, and check illicit practices, the money will stay in Ghana. Government will have revenue to create more jobs and build an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” he noted.
Dr Okrah stressed that developing the sector could help reduce Ghana’s reliance on external financial support. “If we get this right, going to the IMF might not even come in, because we can generate the money here,” he added.
The TCDA was established under the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 (Act 1010) to regulate and promote the production, processing, and trading of cashew, shea, mango, coconut, rubber, and oil palm. Its mission is to diversify agricultural exports, create jobs, support industrialisation, and transform these crops into major foreign exchange earners.
