Shea nut and cashew farmers across the country will have their joy lifted as government plans to set up a tree crop development authority that will be responsible to manage tree crops as compared to the way cocoa is been managed. This it believes will empower farmers to generate income especially those in the northern sector. It is estimated that about one million people are into shea business but the price is nothing to go by.
Meanwhile, concerns have already been raised by some shea farmers across the northern regions over the price of shea in the country. They said they are been short-change by the so-called middlemen who come to buy this shea from women at the harvesting point. They appealed to the government to take action and make the sector more attractive and valuable for farmers to be able to generate income. Shea nut can be used in many products such as butter, soap and many others.
Meanwhile, the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumiah has hinted government plans to set up a tree crop development authority which he said will be responsible to manage tree crops such shea nut, cashew and many others as compared to the way cocoa are been managed. He said a bill will be sent to parliament and when it is past the two commodities will come under one authority and will be managing the same way cocoa has been managed to achieve its potentials.
Dr Bawumiah said this when he delivered a keynote address at the just ended Northern Ghana Development Conference 2019 held on 30th and 31st May, 2019 at the University of Development Studies (UDS) Tamale under the theme: “Accelerating the Sustainable Development of Northern Ghana in the Context of Peace, Security and Ghana Beyond Aid”
Dr Bawumiah said the value of shea is more than the value of cocoa on the world market and questioned why that attention has not been paid to shea. “It is very valuable and can be used in many products,” He said government to focus on the commodity is to make it more attractive for farmers to generate income. “It is government believe to bring the tree crops under one authority and as I’m speaking there is a research that is looking into the domesticating cultivation of shea, so people should take advantage”.