Boost for tree crops

By Dominick Andoh

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is expected to complete an implementation manual within the coming weeks to give thrust to the Tree Crops Policy that was adopted earlier this year, a close source at MoFA has told the B&FT.

The implementation manual is the third of a set of tools developed by MoFA – the two others being the Tree Crops Policy and the Strategic Plan – to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing the key issues confronting the tree crops sector.

The manual will drive the sustainable cultivation of  11 targeted tree crops – cashew, citrus, cocoa dawadawa, coconut, coffee, mangoes, kola, oil palm, rubber tree and shea nut – and set out strategies to provide support to value-chain production activities associated with the crops, said a source at MoFA.

It is estimated that over 1.6million farmers who are engaged in the cultivation of tree crops will benefit from the plans and efforts by government to boost support for the sector.

Cocoa, the leading tree crop, accounts for 14 percent of the total agricultural sector’s contribution of 25.6 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Citrus is currently the fastest-growing tree crop in the country, spurred by increasing domestic and foreign demand for fresh fruits. MoFA estimates the annual production to be 550,000 metric tonnes and says about 11,000 metric tonnes of fresh oranges were exported each year in 2008 and 2009.

The country is not self-sufficient in palm oil production and relies on import to satisfy domestic demand. The estimated area under cultivation is approximately 300,000 hectares, of which 80% is cultivated by small-scale farmers.
 
Despite their potential economic benefit, most of the tree crops in the country are still largely under-developed in terms of their potential production levels and organisation of their value chain as compared to cocoa.

Consequently, the country’s tree crops have lost their competitiveness to neighbouring countries and Asian counterparts.  

Low productivity, insufficient research, inadequate supply of improved planting material and extension services delivery, and low adoption rate of improved technologies are key issues expected to be tackled with the completion and adoption of the implementation manual.

The Tree Crops Policy was developed this year by MOFEP within the framework of the Programme for the Promotion of Perennial Crops in Ghana. It was based on the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II).

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