The leadership of Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG) paid a courtesy call on Dr Andy Osei Okrah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) in Accra.

The CWG is a civil society organisation promoting the growth and development of the nation’s cashew sector through policy advocacy.

A statement issued and signed by Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the National Coordinator of the CWG, said discussions at the engagement were mostly centred on exploring opportunities for collaboration and promoting sustainable development of the cashew sector.

“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,” a copy of the statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani indicated.

It said the partnership would help amplify the voices of cashew farmers and stakeholders and support the government’s efforts to develop the tree crops sector as a major contributor to the nation’s agricultural transformation and economic diversification.

The statement expressed the CWG's dedication to working closely with TCDA through joint advocacy, farmer capacity-building initiatives, policy dialogue, and stakeholder engagement activities.

That will ensure that the cashew industry delivers improved livelihoods for farmers and contributes significantly to national development.

Under the collaboration, the TCDA and CWG would 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.

The statement called on TCDA to remain committed to implementing policies and strategies to transform the cashew sector, noting that it remains a critical source of livelihood for thousands of rural households.

It said cashew farmers looked forward to meaningful reforms that would improve incomes and strengthen the sector, saying that the global market value of cashew was projected to reach about $10 billion by 2030, from the present estimates of $7 billion.

“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,” it added.

The statement quoted Dr Okrah, who commended the advocacy efforts of the CWG and like-minded civil society groups for supporting the tree crops sector, urging stronger collaboration among stakeholders, which remained critical to developing the country’s non-traditional export commodities, increasing foreign exchange earnings, and creating employment opportunities.

“Creating a new institution separate from TCDA would not necessarily resolve the challenges facing the cashew sector,” Dr Okrah stated, noting that proposals made by cashew farmers were already enshrined in the TCDA Act.

The most important thing now is how to implement them, not the formation of a separate board, Dr Okrah stated, urging farmers to exercise restraint as the government, through the Authority, implemented measures to strengthen the industry.

Some of those measures include distributing free improved cashew seedlings to boost production, as well as providing farm tools and equipment, including chainsaws for pruning, to improve farm management and productivity.

The 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.

However, cashew has emerged as one of the nation’s most important non-traditional export crops, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of smallholder farmers in the Bono, Bono East, Northern and Savannah Regions.

The economic crop is widely viewed as a major opportunity for job creation through local processing and value addition; however, the establishment of a Board that will regulate the sector remains the key concern of farmers in the Bono Region.