Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Export Promotions Authority, Eric Twum, has revealed a committee will be set up to ensure the implementation of the 10-year development plan for cashew cultivation in the country.
According to him, the committee will be made up of representatives from some of the ministries, banks, extension service providers and others.
His comment comes on the heels of the launch of the 10-year development plan for cashew cultivation by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, 20 February 2018.
According to the president, cashew, together with other selected crops, can create wealth and jobs for Ghanaians.
Mr Akufo-Addo, said: “This, together with other programmes of other selected export crops, will drive industrialisation in rural Ghana, diversify agricultural products and provide the needed jobs for the teeming masses of unemployed youth of this country”.
The plan will take into account government support for the country’s cashew industry and the required infrastructure for the sector.
Mr Akufo-Addo urged industry players to capitalise on the opportunities in the value chain of the crop and make it beneficial to farmers.
“I will urge the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) to incorporate in this plan policies and interventions that will create additional businesses and job opportunities in the areas of storage, transport and packaging of cashew, which will ensure that our cashew farmers earn higher income,” the president said.
It also seeks to improve research methods, introduce appropriate production and processing technologies as well as develop marketing strategies along the value chain.
Speaking on this development in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson host of the Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday, 21 February 2018, Mr Twum said: “This is the beginning of good things to come. Soon we will do a stakeholder conference on the plan and set up a committee for the implementation.”
He added: “The committee will be made up representative from some ministries, banks, extension service providers and others.”
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
