J Grand Commodities has introduced three new cashew-based products, cashew milk, cashew butter and a protein bar, under its Juki Nuts brand, as part of a push to boost local processing and create jobs within Ghana's cashew industry.

The products were developed with backing from the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth (MOVE)-ComCashew programme, a partnership between the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Moving beyond raw exports

Speaking at the launch in Accra on Friday, Founder and Team Lead of J Grand Commodities, Justice Ganaku, said the company was built on the goal of helping Ghana move past exporting raw cashew and instead build globally competitive homegrown brands.

He cited Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) data showing that roughly 90% of the country's cashew leaves Ghana unprocessed, cutting into potential jobs, local processing opportunities and export revenue.

Founded in 2020, J Grand Commodities launched the Juki Nuts brand the following year and has since grown its retail footprint to more than 80 outlets nationwide. Ganaku said the new product line reflects the company's push to diversify its offerings and add more value to Ghanaian-grown cashew.

The company currently employs 17 young Ghanaians, 10 of them women. Ganaku called on consumers and business partners to back Made-in-Ghana products as a way of driving industrial growth, job creation and foreign exchange earnings.

A young company staying the course

Partner and Marketing Lead Richard Larbi Addiah-Nickson pointed to the hurdles many youth-led startups face early on, noting that J Grand Commodities' survival and growth, culminating in this product launch, reflects the resilience of its young team. He thanked the company's sponsors and partners for their continued support.

Programme support and wider impact

GIZ Ghana Country Director Sandra Retzer said the MOVE programme, financed by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), works with SMEs to turn local agricultural produce into high-quality finished products.

According to Retzer, the programme has so far helped 45 companies, including 37 women-led businesses, develop new products, while supporting employment for more than 5,500 young people. She praised J Grand Commodities as an example of how local businesses can cut waste, add value and compete in both local and international markets.

Backing from TCDA and GEPA

A TCDA representative, Boabeng Adams, said the Authority remains focused on supporting value addition, stronger processing capacity and market expansion for Ghana's tree crop products, noting that such investment ultimately benefits farmers and the wider economy.

GEPA Deputy CEO Ambrose Edwin Nsarkoh described the launch as a significant milestone for J Grand Commodities and for Ghana's manufacturing and non-traditional export sectors, urging continued public support for locally made goods.