The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has called for cashew apples often left as farm waste to be transformed into an industrial raw material to boost agro-processing and economic growth.

Speaking at the opening of the Regional Cashew Apple Valorization Conference and Exhibition on Thursday, April 30, 2026, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi, emphasised that Ghana must build a more integrated value chain that supports processing, branding and market access.

According to the public relations and communications update of the Ministry, the conference, organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with support from the Ghana Tree Crops Development Authority (TDA), and co-funded by the European Union, brought together policymakers, private sector actors, investors and development partners across Africa.

He highlighted that while the cashew sector has grown steadily and become a key contributor to Ghana’s non-traditional exports, a significant opportunity remains untapped in the utilisation of the cashew apple, which is often left to waste on farms.

“The cashew apple should no longer be seen as waste, It should be treated as raw material for industry, it has the potential for producing juice, concentrates, animal feed, cosmetics and other industrial products," he stated.

He stressed that the Ministry’s focus goes beyond production, placing priority on how agricultural outputs are processed, packaged and connected to both domestic and international markets.

He said weak linkages between agriculture, industry and trade have historically limited Ghana’s ability to capture the full value from its crops.

Hon. Ahi reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening agro-industrial linkages, particularly through initiatives such as the Feed the Industry Programme, which seeks to ensure reliable raw material supply for processors while guaranteeing markets for farmers.