The Progressive Cashew Association of Ghana (PCAG) has called on the government to make significant investments in cashew-growing communities in order to improve rural development and sustain farmers' interest in the industry.
Bemoaning the severe lack of basic and essential social amenities in cashew farming communities, the association urged the government and other development partners to urgently resolve the development challenges to boost production and strengthen the rural economy.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the association, Dr Dominic Frimpong, it said communities within cashew-producing areas continued to grapple with lack of potable water, good roads and healthcare centres.
Other challenges mentioned included lack of educational facilities for their children, storage facilities, irregular electricity supply and lack of modern processing equipment.
According to the statement, it was troubling that farmers and other crucial industry actors, who played a major role in the country’s economic and developmental progress, continue to lack access to basic social amenities.
The statement said the challenges significantly affect productivity, limit economic opportunities, and negatively impact the quality of life of the farmers.
"With the right investments and social amenities, our communities can thrive and contribute even more meaningfully to Ghana’s economic growth," it stated.
It added that the association was committed to working with other cashew value chain actors to make the commodity the leading cash crop in the country.
The association expressed appreciation for the government’s commitment to revamp the cashew industry under the President’s Vision 2030 Agenda, which sought to position cashew as the country’s number-one cash crop.
It welcomed the government’s plan to operationalise seven agro-processing plants, including cashew in the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Northern, Central, North East, and Western North regions, which was highlighted in the 2026 Budget.
The statement said the government's intention would help reduce post-harvest losses and create jobs while providing offtake opportunities for out-growers.
"We sincerely welcome the government’s plan to build two warehouses at Sampa in the Jaman North Municipality in the Bono Region and Aboabo near Techiman in the Bono East Region, scheduled to be financed by the Ghana Exim Bank through the President’s Accelerated Export Development Initiative to enhance value addition.
"We sincerely look forward to seeing the realisation of this clarion dream of the government soon," the statement said.
It said the association also welcomed the government’s move to partner private individuals to build warehouses across the various areas to promote cashew value chain activities.
"The association is glued to the government’s intention to make cashew the pillar of Ghana's agricultural sector.”
"We thus welcome the government's Vision 2030 on agriculture for the transformation agenda, which is to make cashew stand on its feet to generate approximately $2 billion a year," it said.
info@businessghana.com
