In Ghana, the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) will organize the first Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit (GTCIS) from February 17 to 20. The institution aims to mobilize $100 million in investment commitments for each of the six strategic tree crop value chains it regulates, for a total target of $600 million.

The targeted value chains include cashew, oil palm, rubber, coconut, shea and mango.

The summit will operate under the theme “Sustainable Growth Through Investment in Tree Crops: Resetting and Building Ghana’s Green Economy.” Organizers expect the event to attract more than 6,000 participants, including institutional investors, development finance institutions, agro-industrial operators, policymakers and trade partners from Africa and beyond.

TCDA intends to leverage this attendance to forge partnerships and secure the financial commitments required to develop the value chains. Local media reported that the funding, if secured, should support the expansion of local processing, improve producer incomes and reduce reliance on raw commodity exports.

“The perennial crops sector of Ghana represents one of our most promising opportunities for inclusive economic growth and industrial transformation. GTCIS 2026 is not simply a conference: it is a platform to demonstrate our investment readiness, forge lasting partnerships and build a globally competitive value chain,” said Andy Osei Okrah, Director-General of the TCDA, in comments relayed by Graphic Online.

Between Ambition and Structural Challenges

The call for fresh investment reflects the government’s intention to support growth ambitions across the targeted agricultural value chains and to better harness their potential.

In August 2025, the TCDA estimated that each of the six value chains could generate up to $2 billion in annual export revenue by 2030, provided that stakeholders mobilize adequate investment, expand processing capacity and structure market systems. By comparison, cashew exports, which rank as Ghana’s second-largest agricultural export after cocoa, generated only $237 million in 2024, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service.

Since the TCDA announced this projection, stakeholders have multiplied development initiatives across several tree crop segments.

On February 6, Accra announced plans to double the national area dedicated to coconut cultivation to 180,000 hectares by 2028 through a high-yield seed distribution program. Authorities aim to increase export revenues from coconut and derived products by 60% to $18.1 million annually and to consolidate Ghana’s position as a continental leader in the segment.

In January, President John Dramani Mahama launched the construction of an industrial hub dedicated to shea processing in Wa, in the Upper West Region. The project seeks to attract investment to add value to shea in the cosmetics, food processing, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, in line with new policy orientations that promote greater value addition.

The oil palm segment has also regained prominence in public policy, as authorities renewed the objective of achieving self-sufficiency by 2025. Under the National Integrated Oil Palm Development Policy for 2026–2032, Accra decided to establish a $500 million financing facility to support private sector investment in the oil palm value chain.

While authorities have not yet announced large-scale development plans for cashew or rubber, stakeholders in both sectors have requested government support to strengthen processing activities. In September, the Rubber Processors Association reported an annual revenue shortfall exceeding $100 million in the rubber value chain, citing low processing levels and weak regulation that fails to incentivize industrial operators.