The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has organised a two-week intensive training programme for the first cohort of its compliance and enforcement officers to strengthen regulation in the tree crop sector.

The task force, made up of 85 officers, will work closely with Customs, Immigration, the Police, National Security, District Assemblies and other state institutions to enforce standards and restore sanity in the sector.

The officers received training in physical drills, basic agronomy of six selected crops, TCDA legal and regulatory frameworks, compliance monitoring, operational management, leadership, intelligence gathering, public order management, media engagement and professional ethics.

They were also taken through customer service, stakeholder relations, financial and auditing management, the TCDA conveyance certification system, as well as field practicals.

He said the unit would operationalise TCDA regulations under L.I. 2471, including inspection, supervision, registration and licensing of actors along the value chain, enforcement of quality standards, traceability, accreditation and the collection of TCDA levies.

Mr Opoku further noted that the unit would curb illegal activities such as the illicit importation of vegetable oil, which threatens the livelihoods of more than 1.2 million people involved in the oil palm, cashew, shea and rubber sectors.

He assured stakeholders that the unit was not meant to intimidate but to educate, protect farmers, safeguard investments and restore confidence in the tree crop sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of TCDA, Dr Andy Osei Okrah, called for strong collaboration with the Police, Immigration and Customs, stressing that TCDA remained the only institution mandated to issue conveyance certificates for the transportation of the six regulated tree crops.

He explained that the certification system, together with the use of branded sacks, would reduce harassment and extortion of stakeholders along transport routes.