Stakeholders at the Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit & Exhibition called for long-term policy stability, climate-smart practices, and direct benefits to farmers, highlighting the multi-level collaboration needed to transform the sector.
Private Sector Advocates Policy Stability
Representatives from agro-processing companies urged the government to maintain predictable export and tax policies to attract sustained foreign direct investment.
“Processing requires heavy capital. Investors need predictable policies and reliable infrastructure to commit long term,” one executive remarked.
He added that local processing capacity must be scaled up quickly to reduce dependence on exporting raw commodities and ensure the sector’s competitiveness in global markets.
Development Partners Stress Climate Resilience
Development partners emphasised the growing impact of climate change on cocoa and other tree crops, urging adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.
“Resilience is no longer optional. Ghana must integrate climate-smart practices to protect farmers and safeguard export earnings,” said a representative of an international development institution.
The partners also pledged technical support to improve productivity, implement sustainability certification, and increase access to international markets, helping Ghanaian producers remain competitive globally.
Farmers Demand Fair Pricing and Access to Finance
Farmer group leaders called for improved access to credit, fair pricing mechanisms, and input support to ensure value addition benefits reach those who produce the crops.
“If value addition is the goal, then farmers must see the value too,” one leader noted.
He stressed the importance of affordable financing, agricultural extension services, and capacity building to increase production and strengthen Ghana’s tree crops industry from the ground up.
These interventions complement remarks by President Mahama, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, and the TCDA CEO, reflecting broad-based support for transforming Ghana’s tree crops sector into a value-added, export-driven engine of growth.
ICAD TV — Reporting
Mavis Addo
Bridging the Gap.