Africa-Press – Ghana. The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) says local industries will be given priority in the supply of produce from tree crops, which serve as raw materials for production.
By this directive the Authority intends to reduce the export of unprocessed rubber, cashew, and sheath.
This is geared towards bolstering job creation and enhancing value addition.
“Our mandate under Act 1010 of Legislative Instrument 2471 is clear: before any raw or unprocessed rubber, cashew or shea leaves this country, TCDA must give written approval/permit.
“We’re now fully activating Regulation 50, which prioritises the supply of raw materials to local industry before anything is exported,” said Dr Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of TCDA.
He was speaking at a High-Level stakeholders Forum to raise awareness on the directive, which was first issued on May 2, 2025.
The event is aimed at informing actors in the value chain of the directive and aligning their objectives with the national strategy to retain and process tree crops locally.
Dr Okrah noted that while local processors were underfed and struggling to get raw materials, Ghana, in the 2023/24 season, lost more than GHS 22.5 million due to the unchecked export of raw rubber.
He said for a country seeking to implement a 24-hour economy, about 1,400 jobs could be lost if the export of raw rubber was unchecked.
“Right now, our six major rubber processing factories employ more than 1,400 people. With full raw material supply and three-shift operations, that number could rise to 6,000 or more,” he noted.
Dr. Okrah stressed that TCDA was open to dialogue and ready to engage with all legitimate actors in the sector to promote responsible growth.
“We’re not here to block business. We’re here to promote responsible and coordinated growth,” he stated.
Dr Ishmael Nii Amanor Dodoo, the Head of Innovative Finance and Markets at the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Exports Secretariat, warned that Ghana’s reliance on raw material exports perpetuated economic weakness.
“We are running a colonial economy. We export what we grow raw, and import it back ten times the price. This has to stop. Tree crops are our opportunity to industrialise but only if we process them here in Ghana,” he said
He highlighted the $637 million spent on importing cosmetics last year, which could be made locally.
“This is why the TCDA’s action is critical. They’re not just enforcing policy, they’re transforming Ghana’s economic destiny.”
Mr Emmanuel Akwesi Owusu, President of the Association of Natural Rubber Actors of Ghana (ANRAC), talked about the crippling effect of poor regulation on financing and sector investment.
“Until now, banks withdrew from supporting rubber farmers because of uncertainty. Today marks a turning point with TCDA now enforcing these rules,” he said.
Mr Abubakari Ibrahim, the General Secretary, Natural Rubber Association of Ghana, added that the forum was “timely and necessary” for national cohesion.
“We can’t grow our industry without unity. TCDA’s move is bold, but it’s the right kind of bold. We need awareness, education, and enforcement, and this forum has laid the foundation.”
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