The chief executive officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Gifty Klenam has launched the national cashew mass spraying exercise in the Wenchi municipality of the Brong Ahafo region to increase production.
The cashew mass spraying exercise, which is being piloted, will cover most cashew growing areas in the Brong Ahafo region and extended to other parts of the country by 2020.
Records show that about 85 per cent of the cashew growing farmers in Ghana are located in the Brong Ahafo region, contributing about 197 million US dollars in revenue in 2016.
The free mass spraying exercise, targeting over 70,000 acres of cashew farms in 2018, is supported by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority.
At the launch, the MCE of Wenchi, hon Dr Prince kwakye Afriyei distributed 25 solo engines spraying machines and chemicals to the various gang heads of the various cashew farmers in the region.
It is been expected that, by 2027, cashew fruits and seeds would be processed in Ghana to add value to the product and also create job opportunities.
Therefore about 2,000 million improved grafted cashew seedlings would annually be supplied to farmers for cultivation.
The executive secretary of Cashew Industry Association of Ghana, Aaron Akyea says measures have been put in place to forestall smuggling of their produce.
The Nkoranza South and North Cashew Farmers’ Association chairman, Adama Alhassan remarked that lower production was recently registered due to disease infestation.
At the launch, the MCE of Wenchi, Dr Prince kwakye Afriyie distributed 25 solo engines spraying machines and chemicals to the various gang heads of the various cashew farmers in the region.
Prudential Bank Limited donated one million Ghana cedis to the farmers to boost their activities.
At the launch, the MCE of Wenchi, Dr Prince kwakye Afriyei distributed 25 solo engines spraying machines and chemicals to the various gang heads of the various cashew farmers in the region.
By Johnson Takyi |3news.com | Ghana