President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is set to launch a comprehensive development plan for Ghana’s cashew industry.
He disclosed this during his second encounter with the media at the Flagstaff House in Accra yesterday.
President Akufo-Addo disclosed while answering a question posed by a journalist from the Brong Ahafo Region as to what his administration was doing to support cashew production and marketing in that region.
According to him, the development plan shall be unveiled on February 24th this year at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The plan, he said, shall take into account government’s support for the country’s cashew industry and the required infrastructure for the sector.
The President explained that the development plan was in line with his administration’s plans to support the production, marketing and sale of cashew nuts nationwide.
He wondered why Ghana cannot develop its cashew industry to generate significant revenue just like neighbouring country, Cote d’Ivoire.
Sector outlook
In Ghana, it is estimated that there are more than 300,000 farmers, who are directly engaged in cashew cultivation.
President of the Ghana Cashew Industry Association, Winfred Osei Owusu, is quoted as saying that the total export revenue realized from cashew in 2016 was US$244,500,000, making the commodity the leading non-traditional commodity.
According to available statistics, the country produces between 50,000 to 70, 0000mt of raw cashew nuts annually.
BY Melvin Tarlue