TCDA and National AfCFTA Coordination Office deepen partnership to boost Ghana’s agricultural exports

The National AfCFTA Coordination Office (NCO) and the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) have bolstered their partnership to bolster Ghana's agricultural exports and maximize market opportunities for tree crop products across Africa. This collaboration aims to aid Ghanaian businesses in fully leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) benefits.

Focused on enhancing market access, promoting value addition, and tackling obstacles that could hinder the competitiveness of Ghanaian agricultural products in the continental market, the partnership brought together officials from the NCO and TCDA to explore practical ways to cooperate. Both institutions emphasized the importance of stronger institutional coordination to ensure Ghanaian tree crop products meet the regulatory, quality, and traceability requirements of African markets.

The TCDA, under its mandate from the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 (Act 1010), is tasked with regulating, developing, and promoting six strategic tree crops, which include cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea. These crops are vital to Ghana's agricultural sector and hold significant potential for export.

The meeting also underscored the significance of enhancing local processing of agricultural commodities to elevate their value, generate business opportunities, and foster employment along Ghana's value chains. A primary focus of the collaboration is addressing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) that may impede Ghanaian tree crop exporters' access to African markets.

The NCO and TCDA committed to working together to identify and tackle these barriers, offering exporters the necessary support to navigate AfCFTA market requirements. Additionally, the collaboration aims to designate focal persons to serve as points of contact for AfCFTA-related activities, facilitating information sharing, coordination, and follow-up on initiatives involving the two institutions.

Another crucial aspect of the partnership is assisting Ghanaian exporters in complying with regulatory requirements necessary for accessing AfCFTA markets, including obtaining Certificates of Origin and meeting traceability requirements. These measures are essential under the AfCFTA framework, as Certificates of Origin help establish the eligibility of products for preferential treatment when traded among participating African countries.

The meeting also explored avenues for mobilizing financing to support businesses within the tree crops value chains, leveraging available financing facilities, including those provided through the African Export.