The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to revitalise Ghana’s oil palm industry, with plans to support the establishment of 100,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations as part of efforts to increase domestic production, create jobs and reduce the country’s dependence on imported palm oil.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, announced this at the National Oil Palm Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable Forum organised by the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) in Accra.
The forum, held under the theme “From Policy to Practice: The Role of TCDA in Resetting Ghana’s Oil Palm Industry,” brought together government officials, farmers, processors, investors, financial institutions, development partners, traditional authorities, researchers and other stakeholders across the oil palm value chain.
Hon. Opoku said the 100,000-hectare target was not simply about expanding the area under cultivation, but about building a more integrated, sustainable and competitive oil palm industry.
He noted that Ghana’s demand for palm oil continues to exceed domestic supply, resulting in significant imports despite the country’s favourable climate, experienced farmers, research capacity and growing processing base.
“The production gap represents lost opportunities for job creation, industrial growth and farmer incomes, while also putting pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves” he said.
The Minister called for the expansion of oil palm cultivation to be undertaken responsibly, with attention to the rehabilitation of ageing plantations, improved yields on existing farms and the protection of forests and environmentally sensitive areas.
He further charged the TCDA to play a central role in coordinating the industry, particularly in registration and licensing, production planning, data management, traceability, quality assurance and collaboration among stakeholders.
Hon. Opoku identified five key areas requiring immediate attention: improving productivity and access to quality planting materials, strengthening smallholder participation, addressing land and financing constraints, expanding processing and value addition and developing a traceable, inclusive and sustainable value chain.
He called for greater support for smallholder farmers, women and young people, stressing that they must be positioned to benefit meaningfully from opportunities across the oil palm value chain.
The Minister also used the opportunity to urge financial institutions to develop suitable financing products that recognise the long-term nature of oil palm investments, while calling on traditional authorities, landowners, district assemblies and investors to promote transparent and mutually beneficial land arrangements.
He said the transformation of the industry required strong collaboration between government, the private sector, research institutions, financial institutions, development partners, farmer organisations and local communities.
“Partnership must not become a slogan. It must be expressed in clear commitments, shared risks, defined responsibilities and measurable results,” he said.
Furthermore, the Minister urged participants at the forum to move beyond discussions and agree on practical actions, timelines, responsible institutions and mechanisms for monitoring
Hon. Opoku said the desired reset of the industry must translate into higher productivity, stronger local processing, increased employment, reduced imports and greater export competitiveness.
He commended the Board, Management and staff of the TCDA for convening the forum and acknowledged the contributions of farmers, processors, investors, research institutions, traditional authorities, development partners and other stakeholders towards the development of Ghana’s oil palm industry.
He urged all stakeholders to move from whinners to trouble-shooters by working together to move decisively from policy to implementation and build an oil palm industry that is productive, inclusive, sustainable and globally competitive.