![Government reiterates commitment to boost cashew industry](http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/x171-prez-nana.jpg.pagespeed.ic.5J1KTmhd3T.jpg)
By Nana Osei Kyeretwie, GNA
Wenchi (B/A), Feb. 21, GNA - President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated his government’s commitment to roll out realistic programmes to propel the development of the Cashew industry in the country.
This, together with other agricultural programmes already being implemented, he said would drive industrialisation of rural Ghana to provide the needed jobs and incomes to enhance the livelihoods of the people.
President Akufo-Addo announced this at the launch of “The Cashew 10-Year Development Plan” and “The Cashew Season Opening Day” at Wenchi in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
The programme, organised by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Cashew Industry Association of Ghana (CIAG) on the theme “Cashew for Development” was attended by people of diverse backgrounds at the ‘Cashew City’ (Wenchi) Jubilee Park.
They included; Mr. John Alan Kyerematen, the Minister for Trade and Industry who chaired the programme, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Professor George Gyan Baffour, a Minister of State responsible for Planning and also Member of Parliament for the area, Municipal and District Chief Executives , traditional rulers and the general public.
President Akufo-Addo stated that agriculture was indispensably the mainstay of the national economy and government would therefore not ignore that sector, but would raise and develop that sector to a higher level to boost massive rural industrialisation for speedy national development.
In that regard, he announced that government through the Rural Development Department of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, under the Planting for Export for Rural Development programme had tasked all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to embark on aggressive nursery of six identified cash crops to raise seedlings to promote the rural industrialisation programme through agriculture.
Dr. Akoto announced that the selected crops were; Cashew, Rubber, Coffee, Oil Palm, Shea nut and Cotton, saying that each of the MMDAs was to choose any of them best suitable for cultivation in that particular locality and nurse the seedlings in millions to the farmers for planting.
He said that programme was going to provide thousands of jobs to the people because the seedlings would be supplied for free to the farmers.
Mr. Kyerematen said the launch of the programme signified among other factors the diversification of the national economy, adding that it would result to job creation and consequently an opportunity for the farmers to increase their incomes.
Dr Yaw Afriyie Kwaakye, the Municipal Chief Executive for Wenchi, earlier in an interview expressed the commitment of the Assembly to offer the necessary support for the development of the Cashew value chain in the Municipality, the region and country in general.
Mrs. Gifty Kekeli Klenam, the CEO of GEPA and Mr. Aaron Akyea, the Executive Secretary of CIAG also spoke at the function.
GNA
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