Ghana’s push to move from exporting raw produce to building industries at home has received a major boost following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and B5 Plus Limited for the establishment of a large-scale cashew processing plant.
The agreement, signed by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and the Executive Director of B5 Plus Limited, Mukesh Thakwani, sets out plans for the facility to be developed under a Build-Operate (BO) model.
For years, Ghana has been a major producer of raw cashew nuts, yet much of it leaves the country unprocessed, limiting the value farmers and local communities can earn.
The new partnership seeks to change that, turning cashew farming into a stronger source of jobs, income, and industrial growth.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Eric Opoku underscored the strategic importance of the project within the Feed Ghana Programme.
“Feed Ghana is not just about growing more crops, it is about building industries around what we grow,” the minister stated.
Under the arrangement, B5 Plus Limited will finance, design, construct, and operate the plant at its own cost, while the ministry will support with policy coordination, land facilitation, and regulatory processes to ensure smooth implementation.
Beyond processing, the project is expected to promote fair and transparent sourcing from farmers, prompt payments, and skills development to build local technical capacity.
Government moves to boost agro-processing with new cashew factories
Industry observers say local processing could help stabilise farm-gate prices, reduce post-harvest losses, and deepen rural industrialisation, especially in cashew-growing regions.
“When we process our cashew locally, we create jobs, strengthen farmers, and keep Ghanaian wealth within Ghana,” he said.
Although the MoU is non-binding and subject to further agreements, it establishes a structured pathway for implementation, including the formation of a Joint Technical Committee to guide the process.
Reaffirming the government’s determination, the minister concluded:
“The era of exporting raw potential is over. Under Feed Ghana, we are turning harvest into industry and agriculture into the engine of economic transformation.”
If realised, the project could mark a significant shift in Ghana’s agricultural story from exporting raw nuts to exporting finished products, and from commodity dependence to value-driven industrial growth.
NA/AE
Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s exposé on the ‘dark side of Kayamata’ and its devastating impact
Source:
mobile.ghanaweb.com