The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) Board, at its recent meeting, has approved a flagship proposal to establish Tree Crop Enclaves across all 16 regions of Ghana. Each region will develop a minimum of 1,000 hectares of the six regulated tree crops: cashew, oil palm, coconut, shea, mango and rubber bringing the total to 16,000 hectares of new plantations nationwide.

The initiative, dubbed “The Legacy Project,” forms a central pillar of the overarching agenda of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, who has set a clear national vision to deliver a major push for the transformation and industrialisation of the tree crops sector. It has therefore been positioned as one of the defining legacy interventions under his leadership, backed by the strategic direction of the TCDA Board and the Chief Executive, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah.

Under this programme, the six crops will be cultivated based on regional comparative advantages—with each region focusing on the crop most suited to its soil type, climate, ecological conditions and existing production strengths. This approach ensures efficiency, maximises productivity and aligns with government’s strategic policies to develop all six tree crop value chains in a balanced and sustainable manner.

Economically, the Legacy Project is designed to uplift livelihoods across districts and rural communities as well as promote  value addition, and

downstream processing. The project is projected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, with strong emphasis on opportunities for youth and women, while stimulating agro-processing, export growth and local economic development in line with government policy.

Following the Board’s approval, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah briefed the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the project with a special  focus also on oil palm sector on his recent invitation by the Committee. The Chairman, Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Member of Parliament for Wa East Constituency, together with the Ranking Member, Isaac Yaw Opoku, Member of Parliament for Offinso South Constituency, commended the TCDA for its bold and visionary leadership and endorsed the initiative as a transformational step for Ghana’s tree crops sector.

A member of the governing board, Lawyer Sadat Kishiwale praised the CEO, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah for such an audacious initiative, adding that, the new plantation under The Legacy Project will not only serve as a cover for some depleted forests  in the mining areas but also positioned to redefine the future of Ghana's tree crops industry under the national development vision of President Mahama.