The Bono Re­gional Minister, Joseph Add­ae-Akwaboah, has challenged stakeholders in Africa’s cashew industry to devel­op innovative strategies to unlock the full potential of the cashew value chain.

He said the time was ripe for Africa to shift from being a mere producer and exporter of raw cashew to a hub for strategic investments and value-add­ed processing.

Mr Addae-Akwaboa made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of session two of the 19th edition of the Master Training Programme (MTP) for cashew value chain promotion held in Sunyani on Tuesday.

The five-day training pro­gramme has drawn 103 partic­ipants from eight West African countries—Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Be­nin, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

The Africa Cashew Alliance is imple­menting the MTP in col­laboration with the GIZ/MOVE-ComCa­shew project, with funding sup­port from the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

The programme aims to build a pool of knowledgeable profes­sionals to drive the diversification, development, and sustainability of Africa’s cashew industry.

The regional minister reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the sector through policy reforms, infrastructure de­velopment, and engagement with the private sector.

He expressed confidence in the efforts of the Tree Crops Development Authority, which he said was working closely with international partners to achieve the project’s goals.

Mr Addae-Akwaboa commend­ed the programme’s implementing partners—GIZ/MOVE, the Crop Research Institute of Ghana, the EU, the Africa Cashew Alliance, and OACPS—for their collabora­tion in strengthening the cashew sector across the continent.

The Managing Director of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), Mr Ernest Mintah, said the second session of the Cashew Master Training Programme (MTP) is tailored to tackle key production challenges—from nursery establishment to planta­tion management, pest control, and climate-smart practices.

He explained that the session promoted good agricultural prac­tices and the use of improved planting materials to enhance productivity and quality, adding “The training combines expert instruction, field visits, and inter­active discussions to equip partic­ipants with practical knowledge applicable to their local contexts.”

The Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Gha­na (CRIG), Dr Owusu Domfeh, reaffirmed CRIG’s commitment to developing climate-resilient, pest- and disease-resistant cashew varieties.

The Project Leader of GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, Beate Weis­kopf, on her part stated that the project prioritises gender equality, saying, “GIZ and its partners are actively promoting gender transformation by ensuring equal participation of men and women, with at least 50 per cent youth representation.”

“We believe the cashew sector can only reach global competitive­ness when both women and men contribute meaningfully to the development of the value chain,” she added.