<p></p><p>The Cashew Industry Association of Ghana (CIAG) in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry organised a Cashew Policy Validation Workshop to transform the cashew sector which contributes to 54 per cent of the export revenues of the sub-sector.Cashew which is the leading agricultural non-traditional export product in Ghana is declining in yield. The draft of the Cashew policy indicates that currently only two out of 13 processing factories are in operation due to unavailability of nuts, inadequate storage facilities, lack of capital and obsolete machinery.<br></p> <p>The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said the industry must aim at processing cashew to meet the standard of the global market. He said the policy should include inviting local authorities to make land available for cashew farmers.Dr. Spio-Garbrah called on inter-ministerial collaborations and non-governmental actors in the cashew industry to get involved in the policy implementation. He added that government can not make interventions in vacuum but requires financial institutions, agro-related manufacturing companies, organisations such as ECOWAS and AU and other stakeholders who support a wide range of economic activities to support the improvement of the cashew industry. <br></p> <p>Participants at the workshop including local processors and cashew farmers deliberated on the components of the policy, incentives and regulatory regime, management and good agricultural practices, resourced extension officers and internal trade.During the plenary, participants said that farmers’ interest in cashew production must be stimulated by protecting the farmer in the export window, create an advisory body within the cashew industry, address issues of production, and education of local farmers. <br></p> <p>The President of CIAG, Wilfred Osei Owusu said that the policy must ensure competitiveness in the market and “clearly have a sustainable programme”.Mr Owusu added that there should be a legal framework, institutional framework and a fund to run the affairs of the industry.<br></p><p></p>