JGrand Commodities has launched three new cashew-based products under its Juki Nuts brand to promote value addition, create jobs and expand the market for locally processed cashew products.
The initiative forms part of efforts by the company to maximise the potential of Ghana’s cashew industry by transforming raw cashew into finished products for local consumption and export.
The products: cashew milk, cashew butter and a protein bar were developed through the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth (MOVE)-ComCashew programme, implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
At the launch in Accra last Friday, the Founder and Team Lead of JGrand Commodities, Mr Justice Ganaku, said the company was established with the vision of ensuring that Ghana moved beyond producing raw cashew to developing globally competitive brands from the crop.
He said statistics from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) showed that about 90 per cent of Ghana’s cashew was exported in its raw state, a situation that limited opportunities for local processing, job creation and increased export earnings.
Mr Ganaku said JGrand Commodities, established in 2020, launched the Juki Nuts brand a year later and had expanded its distribution network to more than 80 retail outlets across the country.
He said the new products were part of efforts to diversify the company’s product range and add more value to locally produced cashew.
Mr Ganaku added that the company employed 17 young Ghanaians, with women making up 10 of the employees.
He said support from the MOVE-ComCashew programme enabled the company to develop the products, which were nutritious, innovative and sustainable.
He urged consumers and business partners to support Made-in-Ghana products to promote industrial growth, create jobs and increase foreign exchange earnings.
The Partner and Marketing Lead of JGrand Commodities, Mr Richard Larbi Addiah-Nickson, also highlighted the progress the company had made despite challenges facing start-ups, particularly youth-led businesses.
He said while statistics showed that many start-ups struggled to survive beyond their early years, JGrand Commodities had remained resilient, with the launch of the new products serving as a testament to the commitment and determination of its young team.
Mr Addiah-Nickson expressed appreciation to sponsors and partners for their support and contribution to the growth of the company.
Support
The Country Director of GIZ Ghana, Ms Sandra Retzer, said the MOVE programme, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), was supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to transform local agricultural produce into high-quality products.
She said the programme demonstrated the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation and partnerships in strengthening Ghana’s agricultural value chains.
Ms Retzer said the initiative had supported 45 companies to develop new products, including 37 women-led businesses, while creating employment opportunities for more than 5,500 young people.
She commended JGrand Commodities for demonstrating how local businesses could create value, reduce waste and develop products capable of competing in local and international markets.
A representative of the Tree Crops Development Authority, Mr Boabeng Adams, said the Authority remained committed to supporting initiatives that promoted value addition, improved processing capacity and expanded markets for Ghana’s tree crop products.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Mr Ambrose Edwin Nsarkoh, said the launch marked an important milestone for JGrand Commodities and would contribute to strengthening Ghana’s manufacturing sector and non-traditional exports.
