A 15-member board of the Cashew Council Ghana (CCG), the umbrella body of the cashew value chain, has been inaugurated to champion industry interests and drive growth in local processing, productivity and investments in the sector. Inaugurated at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region, the board is expected to leverage its diverse industry expertise to help position Ghana as a leading player in the global cashew market.Ghana travel guide Speakers at the event described the establishment of the board as a major step towards strengthening governance, coordination and competitiveness within the cashew sector, while outlining a range of measures needed to unlock the industry's full potential. Export of raw nuts In a speech read on his behalf, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Dr Andrews Osei Okrah, called for a shift from raw cashew exports to value-added processing to position Ghana as a competitive player in the global cashew trade. He said although the industry supported more than 250,000 farmers and contributed significantly to foreign exchange earnings, much of the country's cashew output was still exported in its raw form, limiting job creation and industrial growth. To address the challenge, Dr Okrah outlined a series of interventions aimed at strengthening the industry.Snack Foods He mentioned the promotion of investments in local processing, support for farm rehabilitation and productivity improvement programmes, the strengthening of extension services and farmer training, and the facilitation of access to markets and financing as some of the key interventions. He urged the newly inaugurated board to prioritise inclusiveness and ensure that all actors within the value chain, including farmers, processors, exporters, aggregators, input suppliers and researchers, felt adequately represented under the council. Challenges The Deputy Director at the Directorate of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr Harry Bleppong, described the cashew sector as one of Ghana's most important non-traditional export industries with significant contributions to poverty reduction, employment creation and rural economic development. He, however, noted that the sector continued to face several challenges, including low productivity, ageing plantations, limited access to quality planting materials, inadequate processing capacity, the effects of climate change, pest and disease infestations, market volatility, and weak coordination across the value chain.Ghana travel guide He also called for climate-smart cashew production systems to improve resilience against the effects of climate change. Such measures, he said, should include the promotion of agroforestry systems, soil and water conservation practices, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration initiatives. Dr Bleppong urged the council to play a lead role in attracting investment into processing, strengthening market linkages and supporting the development of a vibrant domestic cashew-processing industry.Snack Foods Transparency A member of the Board, Alhassan Abdallah, on behalf of his colleagues, pledged the board's commitment to serving with integrity, transparency, professionalism and accountability. He said the board would focus on supporting policies, programmes and investments aimed at enhancing productivity, promoting value addition, improving market access, increasing competitiveness and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry. Mr Abdallah promised the board's commitment to advancing the welfare of cashew farmers, empowering women and young people, and encouraging innovation and technology adoption. Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh