Chief Farmer calls for shea-nut industry support

Alhaji Imoro Issifu Alhassan, Northern Regional Chief Farmer of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Shea-nut Farmers Association, has called on government to address challenges in the shea nut industry.

This, he said, is the avenue to alleviating poverty in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

He said the shea industry has the potential to address endemic poverty, especially among women, if government and its development partners pay maximum attention to addressing challenges in the sector.

Alhaji Alhassan told the GNA in Tamale after an end of year meeting with district chief farmers from the region that the shea-nut tree is the only economic resource for people of the north.

“I must first of all commend government for directing COCOBOD to create the shea unit as part of its administration to be solely in charge of the shea sector.”

He said it is unfortunate that some people are calling for decoupling the shea sector from COCOBOD, saying it would be suicidal if COCOBOD should wash its hands of the shea sector.

He explained that the Shea Development Strategy (SHEDS, 2015-2030) is developed as a strategy of government through the COCOBOD to give clear direction for development of the shea sector.

He explained that the sector will collapse permanently if COCOBOD decouples itself.

Alhaji Alhassan said government should also form a National Steering Committee on Shea (NSCS) to among other things provide the necessary governance framework for the shea unit.

He appealed for COCOBOD to fast-track Shea Development Strategy legislation so as to give clear regulations in the shea sector.

Alhaji Alhassan said COCOBOD should ignore any call to decouple the shea unit from the board.

He said: “It is just premature for COCOBOD to take its hands off the shea sector”.