Akufo-Addo Assures Government Will Revive Cashew Industry

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he will on February 20, 2018, launch a complete development plan aimed at revamping the cashew industry; an event he said will be held at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region.

According to him, the development of the cashew industry is of great importance to the development growth of the Ghanaian economy.

“I think it is extremely important not just for the economy of Brong Ahafo, but for the economy of Ghana that we get on the bandwagon of developing this industry. There is a lot of money involved, for producers, for the marketer, for the distributor and also for those who will do the processing and conversion of the nut,” he said.

He also noted that, when the plan is rolled out, there will be no drama in terms of infrastructure, stressing that government support will be critical.

“…And I have no doubt that in that plan when it is unveiled, issue of infrastructure, the nature of government support for the industry, all of that is going to be put on the table,” he said.

He also pointed that Ghana there is nothing stopping Ghana from making good revenue and developing the Cashew industry “like how our neighbouring country Cote d'Ivoire is doing.”

The President said these at his second media encounter at the Flagstaff House following his one-year stay in office, when a journalist from the Brong Ahafo Region, in calling for the development of the cashew industry, requested the construction of cashew roads as its done in the cocoa sector.

“I like the concept of cashew road, I do not know whether it is something that is being proposed, but we will see fully what is being proposed, and I think that any serious policy has to address issues of infrastructure,” he said.

Ahead of the 2016 election, Nana Akufo-Addo promised to boost agriculture by also transforming the cashew sector into a major cash crop and foreign exchange earner.

His promise came at a time when cashew farmers were unhappy with government's decision to place a temporary ban on the exportation of cashew nuts.