Government has renewed calls for stronger financing support and strategic partnerships to accelerate growth within Ghana’s cashew and oil palm industries.
The call was made at a roundtable dialogue on financing the cashew and oil palm value chains held on Thursday, 7th May 2026.
In a speech read on behalf of the Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, said government was aggressively shifting from simply increasing agricultural yields to building a robust industrial agribusiness ecosystem capable of driving economic transformation.
He explained that the initiative formed part of the government’s “Industrial Reset” agenda aimed at positioning Ghana as a manufacturing hub in West Africa while creating jobs and promoting inclusive growth.
“Our Industrial Reset is no longer just a blueprint; it is an active transformation of our productive sectors,” he stated.
According to him, the cashew and oil palm sectors possess the potential to stabilize the local currency, bridge the rural-urban economic divide and significantly boost export earnings.
Hon. Ahi cited projections by the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) indicating that Ghana’s cashew industry alone could generate more than $660 million annually through improved regulation, value addition and processing infrastructure.
He, however, identified access to affordable and long-term financing as one of the major constraints limiting investments across the value chains.
The Deputy Minister explained that long gestation periods for tree crops, high perceived risks, collateral limitations and unsuitable lending structures had affected investments in plantations, mechanization, processing facilities and market infrastructure.
“To our partners in the financial sector, let me be clear: investing in these value chains is not merely Agri-lending. It is an investment in high-growth manufacturing,” he stressed.
Hon. Ahi called on financial institutions, insurance firms and development partners to support innovative financing solutions, including longer-tenor loans, risk-sharing mechanisms and input credit schemes tailored to the realities of tree crop production.
He also urged stakeholders to ensure that the dialogue produced concrete outcomes capable of transforming the sectors.
“We need actionable commitments, innovative products for smallholders, public-private partnerships for processing infrastructure and policy recommendations that can be fast-tracked,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the TCDA, Hon. Andy Okrah in his remarks, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to promoting sustainable growth and investment within the cashew and oil palm industries.
He noted that the development of the two sectors remained critical to Ghana’s industrialization and export diversification agenda.
According to him, the Authority was implementing strategic policies and regulatory interventions aimed at strengthening the value chains, improving productivity and attracting investment into processing and value addition.
The TCDA CEO stressed the need for stronger institutional collaboration and innovative financing models to support farmers, aggregators, processors and exporters.
He added that the Authority was working closely with government, financial institutions, development partners and private sector actors to address longstanding challenges confronting the sectors.
The event brought together representatives from the Bank of Ghana, financial institutions, insurance firms, development partners and industry players within the cashew and oil palm sectors.
Discussions focused on practical financing solutions, risk-sharing mechanisms, agricultural lending reforms and policy interventions aimed at unlocking private sector investment and strengthening Ghana’s agribusiness ecosystem. See less
Source: Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness & Industry, Motai- Ghana
