By Regina Benneh, GNA
Sunyani (Bono), Oct. 1, GNA – Mr Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister, has inaugurated the Bono Regional Office of the Tree Crops Development Authority.
The Minister said that the office situated in Sunyani was to decentralise the operations of the TCDA to facilitate registration and licensing, as well as strengthen compliance and enforcement and improve traceability in the Authority’s value chain.
At a ceremony in Sunyani, Mr Akwaboa said the establishment of the office was an important milestone for sustainable agricultural development in the region.
“This event marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen the tree crop sector and promote sustainable agricultural development in the Region,” he added.
Mr Akwaboa said that the Bono Region had enormous potential in tree crop production, saying that improving the cashew, cocoa, coconut and oil palm sectors could contribute significantly to enhancing the livelihoods of the people and boosting the economy.
He said the office would bring TCDA’s services closer to farmers, processors, aggregators and traders, and thereby improve productivity, quality assurance, value addition, and market access.
“The establishment of the Regional Office comes at an opportune time to bring the activities and services of the TCDA closer to actors within the tree crop value chain”, he noted.
Mr Akwaboa gave the assurance that the Regional Coordinating Council would support the TCDA’s operations and services.
He urged farmers and stakeholders to take advantage of the office and adopt climate-smart practices, saying that farmers ought to remain at the centre of all interventions.
Earlier, the TCDA held a stakeholder’s forum in Sunyani to sensitise the public on the Tree Crop Development Authority Act 2019, Act 1010 and the LI 2471.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Akwaboa noted that the tree crops sector remained central to the government’s ‘Reset Ghana” agenda.
He said the development of the tree crops sector aligned directly to the reset agenda which sought to transform the economy, create employment opportunities and promote value addition.
“The reset agenda is about moving Ghana from simply producing and exporting raw commodities to producing, processing and creating greater value at home,” Mr Akwaboa explained.
He said the Authority prioritised cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea development, offering opportunities for diversification and industrialisation.
“When we process our agricultural products locally, we create jobs locally”, he stated adding that: “When we build industries around our farms, we create opportunities for our young people.”
Mr Akwaboa lauded the Conveyance Certificate System, saying that: “Traceability builds confidence and quality builds markets.”
He said: “Quality must begin from the farm with certified planting materials and to the Minimum Producer Prices which are key to giving farmers confidence.”
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Regina Benneh
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