Keep illegal miners off tree-crop farms — TCDA

Dr Andy Osei Okrah, CEO of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), has urged traditional authorities to prevent illegal miners from encroaching on established tree-crop farms and productive agricultural lands. He emphasized that such actions could jeopardize the economic value of these areas, which have been invested in by farmers over time, and deprive communities of stable income sources.

The TCDA, a government-established body under Act 1010, aims to regulate and develop the production, processing, and trading of six selected tree crops, including cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea. Dr Okrah called for enhanced collaboration among various stakeholders, including the TCDA, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, regional coordinating councils, local governments, traditional authorities, farmer associations, and research institutions, to improve the sector's regulation and development.

The inauguration of the TCDA's Bono Regional Office in Sunyani is seen as a significant step towards decentralising TCDA services and bringing regulatory support and technical information closer to farmers and other value-chain actors. While cashew remains the primary focus of the Bono Regional Office, it is also designated as a hub for the development and regulation of other tree crops like coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea.

Dr Okrah stressed the need to increase local processing and value addition in the tree-crop sector, aiming to process between 50-60% of the country's production locally. The Bono Region holds significant potential for tree-crop production, with crops such as cocoa, coconut, and oil palm contributing substantially to farmers' livelihoods and the local economy.