The Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, has called for urgent investments and stronger partnerships to unlock the enormous economic potential of Ghana’s cashew apple industry, positioning value addition as the next major frontier for growth in the country’s cashew sector.

Addressing participants at the Regional Cashew Apple Valorization Conference and Exhibition in Accra, the TCDA CEO said Ghana can no longer afford to allow millions of tonnes of cashew apples to go to waste while farmers, processors and the wider economy lose valuable income and industrial opportunities.

“Ghana has made significant strides in cashew production, with over 250,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts produced annually. However, alongside this success lies a profound paradox, an estimated 2 million metric tonnes of cashew apples are produced each year, yet the vast majority goes to waste,” he said.

“This represents not just a loss of raw material, but a loss of income for farmers and processors, jobs, and industrial opportunity.”

Turning Waste into Wealth

The TCDA CEO stressed that the cashew apple, which makes up nearly 90 percent of the fruit, holds strong commercial promise and can be transformed into juices, wines, jams, ethanol, animal feed and industrial raw materials.

“The opportunity before us is clear: to transform Ghana’s cashew industry from one that is heavily reliant on raw nut exports into a diversified, value-added agro-industrial sector.”

He said such a transformation would increase farmer incomes, create sustainable jobs for youth and women, promote rural industrialization, improve food security and strengthen Ghana’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.

Personal Commitment to the Sector

The CEO revealed that shortly after assuming office in February 2025, one of his earliest visits was to the Bono and Bono East cashew belts, where he witnessed large volumes of cashew apples rotting on farms.

“My greatest concern during that visit was to see large volumes of cashew apples lying waste on farmers’ fields, with many farmers having little or no knowledge of how to utilize them.”

“That experience left a lasting impression on me. Since then, mobilizing and crowding in the necessary resources to address this challenge has been one of my utmost priorities.”

He described the Accra conference as a major step toward mobilizing investment and practical solutions for the sector.

TCDA Policy Framework

The Authority also introduced its Proposed Policy Framework for Cashew Apple Utilization in Ghana, designed to guide structured development of the sub-sector and support commercial scale-up.

“This framework is designed to guide structured development of the cashew apple sub-sector, ensuring that we move from fragmentation to coordination, and from waste to wealth.”

According to the CEO, the conference is expected to identify concrete investment opportunities, attract private capital, strengthen partnerships and advance commercialization pathways.

Call for Partnerships

The TCDA CEO urged stakeholders to move beyond dialogue and focus on implementation.

“Government alone cannot do it. Development partners alone cannot do it. The private sector alone cannot do it. It will require strong partnerships, coordinated investments, and a shared commitment.”

“Together, we can position Ghana as a leader in cashew apple valorization in Africa.”

Government Support

Speaking on behalf of Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Deputy Minister Sampson Ahi backed the initiative, saying cashew apples should be treated as raw material for industry rather than farm waste.

The conference was organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with support from TCDA and co-funded by the European Union.