Minister-designate for the Bono Region, Joseph Addae Akwaboa has pledged to establish small-scale factories to process cashew apples and create employment opportunities in the region. Speaking during his vetting on January 31, 2025, he noted that eight out of Bono’s twelve districts produce cashews, but farmers focus solely on the nuts while the cashew apples go to waste. “Bono has twelve districts, and out of these twelve districts, eight are producing cashews. But we are interested in the cashew nut and forget about the cashew apple. There is a lot of potential in the cashew apple, but farmers are always interested in the cashew nut and leave the cashew apple to rot,” he said. To address this, he plans to collaborate with investors to set up small-scale processing factories in the cashew-producing districts to enhance the good use of both the nut, the cashew and the apple. “When I am given the nod, I am going to work hard and collaborate with investors to establish some small-scale factories around these districts so that the cashew apple does not go to waste. We will have a way to use the cashew apple to create employment for the youth and the people of the Bono Region,” Akwaboa assured. He highlighted the multiple uses of cashew apples, stating that they can be processed into beverages and even used as a substitute for garden eggs in soup preparation. “In fact, it can be used for a lot of things, but because we don’t have the factories, we leave them to rot. I want to assure you, Mr. Chairman, that I will work hard and collaborate with investors so that we can have these small-scale factories to make good use of the cashew apple,” he emphasized.