The Director of the African Coconut Group (ACG), Kwaku Boateng, has advised young people to venture into the coconut industry due to the availability of structures aimed at supporting the growth of new businesses.

Mr. Boateng was speaking to journalists ahead of the official opening of the 4th International Coconut Festival, taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from the 21st to the 23rd of October 2024.

According to him, interventions such as the Coconut Revitalization Programme and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) are evidence of the government’s commitment to supporting Ghanaian businesses within the coconut value chain to increase production and profit.

He said Ghana’s problem of unemployment can be a thing of the past if the coconut sector is well-harnessed as there is a ready market for the country’s coconut products both locally and internationally.

“Coconut is a game changer; and our main aim as organizers of the Coconut Festival is to promote investment in the sector and make it more attractive for Ghanaians to venture into the various businesses associated with it from production, manufacturing to export.

“The coconut industry alone can employ up to a million Ghanaians because it has good structures under the Coconut Federation, which is made up of five wings; nursery operators, producers (farmers), vendors, processors and exporters.”

The 4th edition of the International Coconut Festival Ghana, is themed, “Empowering Lives Through Coconut — Innovation, Employment, and Sustainable Livelihoods.”

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) are supporting the ACG to host the event.

In partnership with the Ghana Exim Bank and SOLIDARIDAD, this year’s activities will include:
a trade exhibition, seminar and mentorship session for young people and women in coconut, economic and technical negotiations, networking for participants, farm visits and engagements with International participants.

The ACG organised the first-ever International Coconut Festival Ghana in 2019. The event brought together major players within the coconut value chain to promote the business.

The government of Ghana added coconut to the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), which was established in 2019 and mandated to develop and regulate the production, processing, marketing, and export of selected crops.

The non-traditional export figures for 2022 indicated the coconut sector’s substantial economic contribution. Notably, earnings from both fresh and processed coconuts reached 6.3 million dollars and 6 million dollars, respectively.