By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Government is implementing strategies to consolidate Ghana’s status as the highest producer of coconut in Africa and the 12th globally, with a target of supplying 10 million seedlings of the crop to farmers across the country for commercial production by the end of 2028.
To this end, farmers are already being empowered with seedlings and modern farming skills to go into sustainable commercial production and value addition to guarantee a market for coconut and coconut products internationally, particularly under the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
The Director of Presidential Initiatives on Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, disclosed this in Kumasi at a training programme for coconut farmers. Correspondent Nicholas Osei-Wusu has more in the following report.
The training programme was participated in by about 500 coconut farmers and agricultural officers from the Ashanti and Western North regions. They were taken through various improved coconut production practical and theoretical skills. The topics included land preparation and soil treatment, planting techniques, pest control, among other cultural practices.
The participating farmers were among beneficiaries of the government’s free improved coconut variety seedlings last year. The training, the first in a series, is a collaboration between the government, Ghana EXIMBANK, and the Coconut Federation, Ghana.
Government has purposed to increase Ghana’s current 90,000 acres of coconut farms to 180,000 by the end of 2028. In line with this objective, it distributed about 3 million improved coconut seedlings to two thousand farmers last year under the President’s Initiative on the Coconut Value Chain.
The Director of Presidential Initiatives on Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, said coconut is endowed with many uses and benefits, which government is leveraging to expand agricultural production for family incomes and job creation, especially in rural communities.
“Coconut, as we affectionately call it, Kube, in particular, presents a very powerful opportunity for wealth creation. It’s not just another crop; it’s a long-term investment. Once planted and managed, the coconut tree produces for many years and provides multiple streams of income — from coconut oil to beverages, fibres, cosmetics, animal feed, and many other by-products.
Every part of the coconut plant has value. In other words, when you grow coconut, nothing goes to waste. This makes coconut not only a farming activity but a complete agribusiness opportunity that can sustain families and create employment for many others along the value chain,” the Presidential Staffer emphasized.
Dr. Otokunor asked the coconut farmers to ensure the government’s investment in coconut does not go to waste while aiming at value addition to their coconut to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) offered by the United States for African products at zero tariffs.
The Project Manager of Coconut Federation, Ghana, Rahman Taminu, noted that the government’s objectives for the free coconut seedling supply cannot be achieved without proper production skills from the farmers.
He said, “The distribution of improved seedlings across 11 regions demonstrates government’s strong commitment to supporting farmers in strengthening agricultural productivity. However, the true success of this initiative does not depend on the distribution of the seedlings but largely on how well these seedlings are nurtured, managed, and sustained to ensure a high survival rate for improved yield.”
The Deputy Project Manager of Ghana EXIMBANK, Isaac Antwi-Arko, pledged the commitment of the Bank to supporting the farmers and the initiative in the coconut value chain for export.
“The mandate of GHANA EXIMBANK is two-fold: to help improve Ghana’s exports while reducing the country’s import value. That is why this initiative is important. We’re supporting some of you. EXIMBANK would have supported the setting up of many factories to add value to the coconut you’ll produce by the third year of this project,” he assured.
