The Director of the Directorate of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah, has emphasised the importance of improving the cashew processing industry in Ghana.

Speaking in an interview at the Cashew Master Training Programme (MTP), Dr Ansah underscored the need for government intervention to create an enabling environment for cashew processors to thrive.

According to Dr Ansah, enhancing the cashew processing sector is crucial for maximising the economic benefits of the cashew industry.

He pointed out that, like cocoa, exporting cashews in their raw form limits the country's earning potential. However, by adding value through processing, Ghana can increase its foreign exchange earnings significantly.

Dr. Ansah stressed the importance of competitiveness in the cashew processing industry, stating that it is essential for companies to be competitive to thrive in the global market.

He emphasized that government support to improve competitiveness would lead to the emergence of more processing companies, creating a win-win situation for both the industry and the country.

“There is no point in being in an industry where you’re not competitive. If we make the cashews processing industry competitive it means we’d have a lot of them springing up and there as a government we can stick our necks out and say ‘We have made them competitive’ and it will be a win-win situation,” he said on Monday.

Highlighting the broader impact of strengthening the cashew processing sector, Dr. Ansah noted that it would benefit the entire value chain, including seed and commodity production.

“So the processing, we don’t have to joke with it, wherever we are having the gaps, so far as the processing is concerned, I think we need to tighten it up as a country.”

The 18th edition of the MTP is organised by the African Cashew Alliance and supported by the GIZ programme “Market Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS region” (GIZ-MOVE), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).

The one-week programme being held in Accra consist of 88 participants from 13 countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal amongst others.

Aiming to foster economic growth and improve livelihoods across African nations, the Project Leader of MOVE-ComCashe, Beate Weiskopf, said MTP has emerged as a beacon of hope for communities seeking prosperity.

According to her, the programme’s primary focus is on creating employment opportunities and increasing income levels, the MTP strives to uplift individuals, especially women, and enhance their quality of life.

Madam Weiskopf also noted that MTP is to facilitate sustainable development by empowering individuals and communities with the necessary skills and knowledge.

By equipping people with the tools to succeed in various sectors, the programme aims to catalyse positive change and drive progress at both the local and global levels.

“The objective of the MTP is to increase jobs and income in these African countries. So our objective is that people are better off, women are better off, and people have better lives in these countries.

“And this is globally important for the community and this we would like to continue,” she noted.