The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has secured a $227 million credit from the World Bank to implement the Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project, which aims to strengthen the tree crop sector in the country.
According to Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, the project will enhance the capacity of stakeholders in the sector, improving their competitiveness.
The project is designed to support a range of activities, reforms, and investments across the tree crop sector, focusing on key crops like cocoa, coconut, cashew, and rubber. A major aspect of the initiative will involve supporting commercial nursery operators to provide high-quality planting materials to farmers. In addition, the government will help facilitate access to these materials and other inputs for approximately 52,000 farmers.
Mr.Acheampong emphasized that this initiative has the potential to significantly transform the value chains for cocoa, cashew, coconut, and rubber by strengthening connections between producers and processors along the supply chain. The project will use a demand-driven approach to improve access to agricultural inputs, services, and economic opportunities while promoting social inclusion and improving relationships between beneficiary communities and local governments.
A key goal of the project is to address the issue of child labour in the tree crop sector by implementing an integrated system for prevention, identification, and remediation. By increasing production and productivity in selected value chains, the project is expected to drive income growth both at the farm level and along the wider value chain.
The Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project will also focus on coordinating research to improve the quality, processing, and trade of tree crops, making them more competitive. Expected outcomes include increased yields, value addition, improved climate adaptation strategies, and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
William Agyapong Quaittoo, Chief Executive of the Tree Crops Development Authority, highlighted that the project will address key challenges currently holding back the sector.
The project is anticipated to benefit approximately 53,000 farmers and create around 20,000 jobs. It will be implemented across 11 districts in six regions of Ghana, with areas like Essam and Adabokrom in the Western North Region and Asamankese in the Eastern Region specifically targeted for cocoa production support.
Source: TheDotNews