The Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority, Dr Andy Osei Okrah, has said there is a need to develop competitive value chains that move from production at the farm level to processing, manufacturing, branding and access to higher-value markets.
He said this after announcing the commencement of a nationwide distribution of agricultural inputs to tree crop farmers.
According to him, the initiative was launched at Mampong in the Ashanti region, as part of measures to address challenges confronting Ghana’s tree crops sector.
He was speaking on Akoma 87.9FM in Kumasi on Saturday, August 15, 2026,
Dr Okrah said that the intervention goes beyond the distribution of farm inputs, describing it as a renewed commitment to building a more productive, resilient and competitive tree crops industry.
The Authority regulates and promotes Ghana’s six strategic tree crops: cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea.
The sector supports approximately 1.6 million households and contributes significantly to rural employment, incomes, agro-industrial development and export earnings.
He stated that farmers continue to face challenges including ageing farms, pests and diseases, climate variability, limited access to quality planting materials and market constraints.
“We must develop competitive value chains that move from production at the farm level to processing, manufacturing, branding and access to higher-value markets,” he stated.
He mentioned that the inputs are also intended to address practical challenges faced by farmers, including limited access to seedlings and basic farm equipment. He observed that women in the shea sector sometimes work with their bare hands and feet, exposing them to snake bites.
“The long gloves and Wellington boots we are distributing will help address that problem,” he stated.
He further disclosed that the government has tasked the Ministry of Finance to develop a US$500 million financing mechanism to establish 100,000 new oil palm plantations by 2032, and appealed to traditional authorities to make land available for the initiative.
