Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), says the Government is determined to diversify the agriculture sector to generate more revenue for national development through six tree crops.
He said though the country derived enormous benefit from cocoa, tree crops such as mango, rubber, cashew, oil palm, coconut, and shea, equally had the potential to serve as a major source of additional revenue generation.
The Minister, therefore, charged the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), during their inauguration in Accra, to ensure that they put in much effort to generate the expected $15 billion from the six tree crops.
Dr Akoto said: “Each of the six tree-crops in the next eight to 10 years should give us two and a half-billion dollars, which makes a total of $15 billion, and there is no activity in Ghana, which has such an ambitious target.”
He added that: “I don’t think any Board has been given such an ambitious target like this as you’re supposed to. It is, therefore, a huge responsibility for you to, in the next eight to ten years develop these selected tree crops to a level where the country will be earning as much foreign exchange as cocoa.”
The Minister was optimistic that with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there would be the opportunity to add value to the raw materials from the tree crops for ready market on the continent.
Mr Stephen Sekyere-Abankwa, Chairperson of the Board, thanked the President for reposing confidence in them and assured that they were prepared to work tirelessly to make his vision of “Ghana beyond Aid” a reality.
He said the Board would pursue programmes and policies that would attract huge investments in the tree crop sub-sector and with proper management, the country would be able to generate between $5 billion and $10 billion annually.
Mr Sekere-Abankwa said: “When this happens then this project will be a game-changer that will give meaning to the President's vision of Ghana beyond Aid.”
He was optimistic of the Board’s ability to achieve the goal, nothing that though the project was a government initiative, the Authority was dominated by private sector players who were farmers, processors, traders, and had interest in seeing the sector thrive.
He called on the Minister, to continuously avail himself for support whenever the need arose.
Source: GNA
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dont mind this agric minister, he is a big f- u -u -l who doesnt know anything
THis is the same man who said planting for jobs has created 900,000 jobs. Ghana's population is 30 million. Half of it, (eg 15 million are minors). Yet he claims he created almost 1 million jobs in planting for jobs. Yet we import rice, sugar, wheat etc in billions of dollars annually. So what the F**K is he telling us? Nana Addo's government is a complete failure and disaster because of people like this use-l3-sss agric minister who should have been sacked after 1 week of appointment. Yet here is is telling more bullsh!!!ttt. Blame Nana Addo for having such edddiotss advising him.
You keep talking about value addition but this has never happened. Even if Ghana is able to rake in this huge amount, nothing positive will still happen. Our problem as a country is the politician. They win power to represent themselves not the people. Currently nobody can tell where Ghana is heading towards. Nothing seems to be working in our favor, the masses are suffering with only a few i.e. Politicians and their cronies amassing wealth at the expense of the larger majority. Ghanaians had high hopes in Akuffo Addo, unfortunately he may end as the worse president in our history. From every indication, he has lost focus. Five years on simple reshuffle, akuffo Addo can't do. Defence, interior, national security, finance, trade, foreign affairs, roads, transport and health ministers in same ministries for 5 years running, they have exhausted all the ideas they have with nothing to show. How can a roads minister suspend road tolls by himself and nobody is there to reprimand him. Long vehicles from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger come into Ghana and use our roads for free. Ghanaian vehicles entering these countries pay road tolls in and out. What is the sense in this.
THIS MAN IS A JOKER, COME TO AUSTRALIA AGRONOMIST HAVE HIGHLY MECHANIZED FARMS NOT POLITICIAN. THIS GUY CANNOT EVEN MANAGE HIS MINISTRY LET ALONE THE COUNTRY REAL JOKER. SHAME TO HIM ALL THE MONEY FROM OIL INTO THE MINISTRY FOR MECHANIZATION , IRRIGATION OF AGRICULTURE IS NOT DONE WE STILL THROWING MONEY IN PEASANT FARMING WHERE AS CHINA FEED IT BILLION POPULATION WITH MECHANISATION OF AGRICULTURE AND EVEN EXPORT THE THE REST OF IT TO EARN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WHILE GHANA CANNOT FEED 30 MILLION POPULATION ARE WE SERIOUS AS A NATION WITH ***barred word*** LEADERS SUCH AS AFRIYIE AKOTO WHO CAN TALK TOO MUCH AND DO LITTLE WE ARE DOOM AS A NATION. THIS MAN CAN SPEAK LIKE A PARROT BUT DELIVER VERY LITTLE THAT IS WHAT GHANA NEED. IF WE IMPORT RICE FROM CHINA, VIETNAM, THAILAND ETC WE SHOULD BE ASHAME OF OURSELVES THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELF. IS SICK TO EVEN BE PROUD OF THIS ACHIEVEMENT VERY SHAMEFUL.