Ghana’s CPOPC Membership Drive Gains Momentum at High-Level Malaysia Meetings
Ghana’s bid to become a member of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) gained fresh momentum following the country’s participation in the 30th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and the 13th Ministerial Meeting (MM) of the organisation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The high-level Ghanaian delegation was led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, representing the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, and the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson. Other members of the delegation included Mr. Paul Amaning, President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG); Dr. Isaac Danso, Director of the Oil Palm Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-OPRI); and Mr. Yaw Agyei-Agyepong, Value Chain Specialist (Oil Palm) at TCDA.
Ghana’s participation was described as both timely and strategic, as the TCDA is spearheading the planning and coordination of the government’s proposed establishment of 100,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations. The initiative, outlined in the 2026 Budget presented by the Minister for Finance, is expected to generate about 250,000 jobs nationwide.
The engagement was facilitated through the efforts of Ghana’s High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, led by Her Excellency Mrs. Florence B. Akonor.
Held from December 16 to 17, the meetings offered Ghana the opportunity to gain deeper insights into CPOPC’s operations and the potential benefits of full membership. Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to joining the council in 2026, with the aim of strengthening technical cooperation, capacity building, and overall growth within the oil palm sector.
As part of the programme, Ghana and other CPOPC member states undertook a field visit to SD Guthrie, a fully integrated oil palm company located on Carey Island. The company manages close to 400,000 hectares of plantations and is Malaysia’s second-largest employer after the government. SD Guthrie expressed its willingness to support Ghana with technical expertise across the oil palm value chain, from production to processing.
