The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has launched the maiden edition of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) Investment Fair and Exhibition, describing it as a strategic platform to accelerate Ghana’s transition from raw commodity exports to value-added agro-industrialisation.

The launch took place on Monday, July 28, 2025, in Accra. The fair itself is scheduled to take place in September 2025.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare described the event as a landmark occasion that will celebrate the achievements and future potential of Ghana’s tree crops sector.

“This fair signals a decisive shift from raw commodity exports to value addition, agro-processing and industrialisation,” she stated.

The Minister stressed that value addition was no longer a luxury but a necessity in Ghana’s economic transformation. She cautioned against the continued export of raw materials such as cashew nuts and shea without leveraging the full economic potential of their by-products.

“Value addition is no longer optional; it is an imperative. We cannot afford to lose billions of dollars in export value by shipping raw cashew nuts while neglecting the cashew apple. We cannot continue to export unprocessed shea when we could be supplying premium shea butter, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals,” she maintained.

Ofosu-Adjare reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to partnering with the TCDA, private investors and development partners to drive sectoral growth. She said focus areas would include farm productivity, processing technology, factory infrastructure, logistics, storage, and skills development.

“We are committed to creating the enabling environment for investment across the value chain,” she added.

The Chief Executive Officer of TCDA, Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, explained that the upcoming fair would be open to both public and private sector players and would serve as a platform to showcase the economic potential of tree crops in Ghana.

He added that the fair would also help attract strategic investments into the sector and stimulate broader stakeholder collaboration.

The Tree Crops Development Authority, established to regulate and promote the development of six selected tree crops including cashew, oil palm, shea, coconut, mango and rubber, has been instrumental in advancing value chain integration in the country.

The September event is expected to convene local and international investors, agribusiness leaders, policymakers and producers to explore growth opportunities and scale sustainable agro-industrialisation across Ghana.