Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has firmly demanded an end to raw cashew nut exports to promote local processing, a measure announced at a key summit on tree crops. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to add value to Ghana’s agricultural resources, also encompassing shea and rubber.

Background to the announcement

John Dramani Mahama made this statement on February 17, 2026, at the opening of the Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit in Accra, organized by the Tree Crops Development Authority with support from the World Bank. The summit’s theme was “Sustainable Growth Through Investment in Tree Crops: Resetting and Building Ghana’s Green Economy.” He called on foreign companies processing raw cashew nuts to establish local processing facilities or withdraw from the market, emphasizing that Ghana is no longer willing to export raw cashew nuts only to re-import processed cashews at inflated prices.

Economic Stakes for Ghana

The cashew sector employs approximately 890,000 people, primarily smallholder farmers in the Brong Ahafo, Bono East, and Savannah regions, who sell raw cashew nuts at low prices for processing abroad, often in India. Currently, Ghana exports cashew nuts in large quantities, losing a significant amount of added value: processing multiplies revenues many times over. The government’s objective is to process 50 to 60% of cashew tree crops locally each year through agro-industrial parks, tax incentives, and strengthened regulations.

Key Measures and Projects

Mahama relaunched the cashew tree crop diversification project ($200 million, World Bank), distributing 7.8 million cashew seedlings to over 30,000 farmers and providing grants to 185 SMEs. He led the Tree Crops Development Authority and COCOBOD to accelerate concrete results, moving beyond mere red tape. This policy aligns with the vision of a 24-hour economy, creating jobs and reducing dependence on raw materials, as was the case with colonial cocoa.

Implications for West Africa

This requirement strengthens African economic sovereignty in commodities, a major issue for countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, world leaders in cashew nuts. Potential successes include increased farmer incomes, rural industrialization, and exports of finished products (oil, milk, juice), boosting Ghana’s GDP to $12 billion in cashew nut exports by 2035. Foreign investors are encouraged to build state-of-the-art factories for a green and resilient economy.