A new hybrid shea variety developed by researchers at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) is being piloted on a 30-acre demonstration farm at Futa, in the Northern Region capital, Tamale.
The new variety has a gestation period of three years, compared with the estimated 20 to 30-year wild shea trees.
The initiative is expected to accelerate shea production and promote plantation-based cultivation of the crop, as well as improve the livelihoods of women and communities that depend on the crop across northern Ghana.
The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, planted the first hybrid shea tree on a demonstration farm as part of a side event at the commencement of World Shea Expo in Tamale last Wednesday.
The 30-acre farm, known as the John Mahama Shea Demonstration Farm, is expected to serve as a research, innovation and commercial centre for plantation-based shea production and provide a model for expanding the cultivation of improved shea varieties.
The plantation was established as part of efforts to transform shea production from reliance on naturally occurring trees to a more organised plantation-based system capable of supporting increased production and value addition.
Event
The three-day event was organised by the Office for Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, at the Office of the President, in partnership with the Savannah Golden Tree Limited (SGTL), the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Ghana EXIM Bank, the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX).
Other partners are the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), the Northern Development Authority (NDA) and CRIG.
The expo, which was on the theme: “From local commodity to global brand: Accelerating women and youth-led value addition in shea,” brought together more than 7,000 participants, including women’s cooperatives, youth-led businesses, processors, exporters, international buyers, financial institutions, development agencies and traditional leaders.
Activities included exhibitions, panel discussions, investment forums, policy dialogues, training workshops and field visits.
Collaboration
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stressed the need for effective collaboration among actors in the shea value chain to address challenges facing the sector.
She pledged the government’s commitment to providing adequate funding to strengthen production capacity, increase shea production and promote local processing to improve incomes.
The Vice-President, however, said that the sustainability of the industry depended on the protection of shea trees and the environment, citing bushfires, indiscriminate felling, land degradation and the impact of climate change as threats to shea parklands.
Export opportunities
The Director for Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, said business-to-business linkages and export opportunities generated during the expo were valued at almost $10 million.
“In this year's expo, we are not just showcasing products and innovation; we are showcasing potential, demonstrating that Ghana is ready to lead,” he said.
Dr Otokunor said the country produced an estimated 130,000 to 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, with the crop valued at about $350 million, compared to $118 million in 2023.
He said exports of unprocessed shea nuts accounted for $177 million in non-traditional agricultural export earnings, adding that the adoption of modern production and processing methods could increase annual shea production to about 400,000 metric tonnes, with an estimated value of $640 million.
For his part, the Chairman of the SGTL, Imoro Issifu Alhassan, said the government had fulfilled its promise to support shea pickers in the Northern Region with equipment to improve their operations.
