Stakeholders in Ghana’s agricultural sector are being encouraged to back government initiatives to strengthen the cashew industry in the Savannah Region, a vital source of livelihoods, employment, and economic growth.
Mr Iddrisu Sumani, Ambassador for the Savannah Regional Voice of Agribusiness, said thousands of smallholder farmers, traders, processors, and young entrepreneurs in the region depended on the cashew value chain for income and economic stability.
Mr Sumani, speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, appealed to stakeholders to work closely with farmers at the grassroots level by creating platforms that would enable them to share their concerns and experiences in discussions that shape policies and regulations affecting the sector.
According to him, including farmers in policy discussions would help ensure that decisions taken at the national level reflected the realities and needs of those directly involved in the cashew industry.
Mr Sumani, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bunyanso Farms Limited, advised stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of national policies governing the cashew sector to promote registration and ensure compliance among actors within the value chain.
He indicated that effective implementation of these policies would enhance market integrity and transparency while encouraging investment and value addition within the cashew industry, particularly in the Savannah Region.
He emphasised that ensuring the voices of grassroots farmers were reflected in national policy dialogue would help build a well-structured, competitive, and sustainable cashew industry that benefits both local communities and the national economy.
He also called on government institutions, regulatory authorities, development partners, and the media to support ongoing efforts to promote awareness, transparency, and responsible participation within the cashew value chain.
Source: Access Agric
