William Agyapong Quaittoo
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer (CEO) of the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), William Agyapong Quaittoo, has disclosed that the country produces about 20,000 metric tons of cashew annually with the potential of an increase to about 30,000 in sight.
According to him, Ghana has, between the last three years, moved from a production level of about 17,000 metric tons to 20,000 metric tons annually and steadily moving towards a production level of about 30,000 metric tons.
The TCDA boss made this disclosure on the sidelines of the Cashew Research Dialogue, which took place in Accra between April 14 – 17, 2024 where he expressed his satisfaction with the performance saying, “I’m happy with the rate at which cashew is developing in a country.”
The Cashew Research Dialogue is part of series of activities marking the 6th edition of the Council of Ministers’ Conference of the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC) currently ongoing in Accra and expected to be climaxed on Saturday, April 20, 2024.
The dialogue brought together ministers, experts and rescarchers from member countries of the CICC to share knowledge, discuss achievements and identify gaps in research and development within the cashew industry.
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong explained that it would increase the consumption rate of cashew products and create visibility for small and medium-sized cashew processors.
“Ghana’s hosting of the conference is a “testament” to government’s commitment to the development of the cashew sector; would provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the progress made in the sector so far and attract potential investors to the industry”, he noted.
Headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the CICC is an international and intergovernmental organization established in 2016 to promote, advocate, share knowledge, innovate, and provide platforms for discussions on issues related to the cashew value chain.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio