The Ghana Shea Employers Association (GSEA) has called for improved access to affordable and flexible financing to help sustain and maximize gains in the sector.
The Association lauded government’s policy measures, including the introduction of a regulated minimum producer price of GH¢9.01 per kilogram of shea nuts by the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), the planned ban on the export of raw shea nuts by 2026, and the upcoming 2nd World Shea Expo scheduled for September 2–4, 2025 in Tamale.
According to the GSEA, these interventions would promote value addition, protect the interests of producers, and catalyze domestic industrialization in the shea industry.
A press statement read by Mr Andrews Dokurugu, Committee Member of GSEA on behalf of Hajia Rabiatu Abukari, President of the GSEA, the Association said the measures provided a strong policy foundation to strengthen domestic processing capacity and position Ghana as a global leader in high-value shea exports.
However, the Association expressed concern that access to affordable financing remained a persistent bottleneck for enterprises and cooperatives along the shea value chain.
“Many local businesses continue to face structural barriers such as high interest rates, collateral demands, limited working capital for procurement, and insufficient investment financing for processing equipment, certification, and market expansion,” it said.
The GSEA noted that these challenges threatened the effective implementation of government interventions and could undermine the ability of businesses to respond to minimum pricing regulations, take advantage of export opportunities, and meet the growing global demand for shea products.
It urged government and partners to consider the unique financing needs of sector actors under the Guarantee Scheme supported by the Development Bank Ghana (DBG).
The statement added that deliberate efforts to facilitate access to credit through Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), especially for small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives, would help sustain operations, unlock growth potential, and support employment generation, particularly for women and youth.
The Association reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with government, DBG, and PFIs to facilitate outreach, provide enterprise data, and support due diligence processes that ensured impactful lending outcomes.
Source: Access Agric
