Cashew Industry Holds US$660m Annual Revenue Potential – TCDA
The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has estimated that Ghana’s cashew sector could generate more than US$660 million a year if supported with stronger regulation, improved processing infrastructure, and enhanced export facilitation.
Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, the Chief Executive Officer, revealed the projection during a stakeholder engagement in the Bono Region, which brought together farmers, processors, aggregators, exporters, and traditional leaders to discuss reforms aimed at strengthening the cashew value chain.
The forum focused on improving collaboration among industry players while increasing understanding of TCDA regulations, licensing processes, pricing structures and market expansion strategies.
Cashew remains one of Ghana’s key non-traditional export crops, contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings and rural employment. However, the TCDA highlighted that weak regulation, inconsistent pricing, and limited processing capacity have hindered the sector from reaching its full economic potential.
The crop is among six priority tree crops under the government’s Tree Crops Development Agenda, which aims to promote value addition and industrial growth within agriculture.
To address sectoral bottlenecks, the TCDA is rolling out measures to stabilise farm-gate prices, enforce licensing requirements and increase transparency across the value chain. These initiatives are designed to protect farmers, attract investment into local processing facilities, and enhance Ghana’s competitiveness in the West African cashew market.
A national pricing framework is also under development to guide buyers, processors, and exporters, introducing predictability and fairness while ensuring both farmers and investors benefit from a stable market environment.
The long-term goal goes beyond exporting raw nuts to building a robust cashew economy focused on domestic processing, job creation, and higher export revenues.
Experts project that with the right policies, Ghana could rival Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria in regional exports while significantly expanding local processing to capture greater value.
Currently, the country exports about US$300 million worth of cashew annually, with over 90 percent shipped as raw nuts, highlighting missed opportunities for value addition.
The sector directly supports roughly 300,000 farmers and an estimated 200,000 people engaged in trading, transport, and processing. Production is concentrated in seven regions, with Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo as the main hubs.
In 2020, Ghana exported approximately 139,743 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts, earning US$251.4 million, with Vietnam and India as the primary processing destinations.
The TCDA’s renewed focus on regulation, transparency, and innovation aligns with government efforts to diversify export earnings beyond cocoa and build a more resilient, industrial-driven agricultural economy.
