ACCRA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday launched a 10-year cashew development plan aimed at diversifying the country's agriculture.
The plan seeks to improve research methods, introduce appropriate production and processing technologies, as well as develop marketing strategies along the value chain.
Speaking at the event at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region, Akufo-Addo bemoaned the over-reliance of Ghanaian agriculture on the production and export of cocoa, in contrast with the situation in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.
He noted that Cote d'Ivoire had succeeded in diversifying its agriculture, which included the production and export of other cash crops and, as a result, earned the country some 12 billion U.S. dollars from the export of agricultural produce in 2015.
"To that end, I reiterated my commitment to assist in diversifying Ghanaian agriculture, and transforming, amongst others, cashew into a major cash crop and foreign exchange earner for Ghana.
"This, together with the other programs for other selected export crops, would drive industrialization in rural Ghana, diversify agricultural exports, and provide the needed jobs for the teeming masses of unemployed youth of this country," said Akufo-Addo.
In 2016, Ghana exported a total volume of 163,000 metric tons of raw cashew nuts, generating a handsome foreign revenue receipt of 244 million U.S. dollars.