{"id":476312,"date":"2026-02-18T18:50:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/476312\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T18:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:50:08","slug":"cocoa-alone-cannot-carry-ghanas-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/476312\/","title":{"rendered":"Cocoa alone cannot carry Ghana’s economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Otumfuo <\/a>Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the Asantehene<\/p>\n

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II<\/a>, has urged Ghana to look beyond cocoa and strategically diversify its economy, warning that the crop can no longer carry the nation\u2019s economic ambitions alone.<\/p>\n

In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Nkoranza Manhene, Nana Kwame Baffoe IV, at the 2026 Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition, the Asantehene reflected on cocoa\u2019s historic role in shaping Ghana\u2019s growth and identity.<\/p>\n

Otumfuo speaks on war in DR Congo, Somalia, Sudan during King Mswati’s visit<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt has educated our children, built our communities, sustained rural livelihoods, and earned Ghana global recognition as a dependable agricultural producer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He, however, cautioned that cocoa now faces mounting challenges from environmental destruction caused by illegal mining to climate change, erratic rainfall, shorter growing seasons, and increasing pest and disease outbreaks. <\/p>\n

These pressures, he noted, have contributed to declining yields in several cocoa-growing areas over the past decade.<\/p>\n

Otumfuo urges President Mahama’s appointees to serve Ghana diligently<\/a><\/p>\n

While acknowledging cocoa\u2019s importance, Otumfuo commended government efforts to expand investment into other tree crops such as cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea. <\/p>\n

He described the diversification agenda as both practical and necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis vision is not speculative. It is firmly grounded in economic logic, ecological necessity and global market demand. As such, it deserves sustained attention and full national support and investment,\u201d the Asantehene said.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that although cocoa currently generates about two billion dollars annually, Ghana\u2019s six major tree crops together could potentially bring in 12 billion dollars or more in the future if properly developed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe combined strength of Ghana\u2019s diverse tree crops can become a powerful engine of sustainable growth. This journey will, however, require patience, long-term capital, discipline and effective coordination. Tree crops are far more than commercial commodities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Beyond economic gains, the Asantehene stressed the environmental benefits of tree crops, noting their role in restoring degraded lands, protecting watersheds, and stabilising soil. <\/p>\n

As traditional authorities control more than 80 per cent of Ghana\u2019s land, he reminded chiefs of their responsibility in safeguarding it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I therefore issue a clarion call to all traditional authorities across Ghana. Let us deliberately make land available for large-scale, responsible tree crop development,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

The summit, themed \u201cSustainable Growth through Tree Crops Investment: Resetting and Building Ghana\u2019s Green Economy,\u201d was organised by the Tree Crop Development Authority in partnership with the World Bank and other institutions. <\/p>\n

President John Dramani Mahama<\/a> and several ministers of state were in attendance.<\/p>\n

NA\/VPO<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb<\/a>\u2019s expos\u00e9 on the \u2018dark side of Kayamata\u2019 and its devastating impact <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged Ghana to look beyond cocoa…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,101],"class_list":["post-476312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}