The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has secured a US$227 million credit from the World Bank to undertake the Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project aimed at improving the tree crop sector.

According to the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong, the project will enhance the capacity of stakeholders in the tree crop sector and enhance their competitiveness.

The Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project seeks to support sector-wide activities, reforms, and investments in the tree crop sector to enhance production of cocoa, coconut, cashew and rubber.

As part of the project, commercial nursery operators will be supported to supply quality planting materials to farmers and government will also facilitate the acquisition of planting materials and other agricultural inputs for 52,000 farmers.

According to Minister of Agric, Bryan Acheampong, the initiative has the potential to transform the cocoa, cashew, coconut, and rubber value chains by connecting downstream and upstream actors.

“The project will take a demand-driven approach to enhance access to inputs, services, and economic opportunities, while fostering social inclusion and strengthening relationships between beneficiary communities and local governments”.

“It will also address the risk of child labor in tree crops through an integrated prevention, identification, and remediation system. By improving production and productivity in selected value chains, the project will drive income growth at the farm level and along the value chain”, he said.

The Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project will focus on strengthening and coordinating demand-driven research to improve quality and competitiveness in tree crop production, processing, and trading.

The project aims to achieve significant outcomes, such as increased yields and value addition for target tree crops, improved climate adaptation strategies, and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Chief Executive of the Tree Crops Development Authority, William Agyapong Quaittoo said the project will address some of the challenges hindering the growth of the Tree crop sector.

The Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project seeks is expected to benefit about 53,000 farmers and create around 20,000 jobs

The TCDP will be rolled out in eleven districts across six regions of Ghana, carefully chosen for their potential to maximize impact.

Western North's Essam, Adabokrom and Asamankese in the Eastern Region are earmarked for the project to support the cocoa sector.