TCDA Approves Nationwide Tree Crop Enclaves to Transform Ghana’s Tree Crops Sector

The Board of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has approved a flagship initiative to establish Tree Crop Enclaves in all 16 regions of Ghana.

Under the plan, each region will develop at least 1,000 hectares of plantations for the six regulated tree crops—cashew, oil palm, coconut, shea, mango and rubber—resulting in a total of 16,000 hectares of new plantations nationwide.

The initiative, known as “The Legacy Project,” is a key component of the broader agenda of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to accelerate the transformation and industrialisation of the tree crops sector. It has been positioned as a major legacy intervention under his leadership, guided by the strategic oversight of the TCDA Board and the Chief Executive, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah.

Implementation of the project will be based on regional comparative advantages, with each region focusing on the tree crop best suited to its soil type, climate, ecological conditions and existing production strengths. This targeted approach is intended to improve efficiency, maximise productivity and support the balanced and sustainable development of all six tree crop value chains in line with government policy.

The Legacy Project is expected to deliver significant economic benefits by improving livelihoods in rural and farming communities, promoting value addition and encouraging downstream processing. It is projected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, with particular emphasis on opportunities for youth and women, while stimulating agro-processing, export growth and local economic development.

Following the Board’s approval, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah briefed the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the project, with additional focus on developments within the oil palm sector. The Committee’s Chairman, Hon. Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Member of Parliament for Wa East, and the Ranking Member, Hon. Isaac Yaw Opoku, Member of Parliament for Offinso South, commended the TCDA for its bold and forward-looking leadership and endorsed the initiative as a transformational step for Ghana’s tree crops sector.