Major boost for shea butter producers

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, says a German firm wants to recruit 30,000 women from the Northern Region in the shea butter industry to pick the seeds for processing.

He has, therefore, called on the people and chiefs in the area to make land available to create shea plantation, adding that “it is not the best to leave your homes at dawn to the bush to pick the seeds in the wild.”

The Minister said this when he visited Tiehisuma Sheabutter Processing Centre at Gurugu, a suburb of Tamale.

Dr Spio-Garbrah said the shea industry is a vibrant enterprise as the products have many uses in the cosmetic industries throughout the world, apart from its local uses.

The Minister said government has the responsibility to fund agencies but it is equally important to engage in private participation, adding that some churches are now into agro-processing businesses.

Mr. Spio-Garbrah advised them to introduce their children into the business while they are schooling and suggested that the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service could introduce local manufacturing subjects in school curriculum at basic level.

He said this may make them have interest in establishing their own businesses after completion of school instead of relying on government for white collar jobs.

The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Tiehisuma Sheabutter Processing Centre, Madam Juana Akonsi Teviu, said her outfit was established in 2005, and has employed 360 women operating in nine communities in the Region.

She said the impact of the work attracted grants and technical support from some organizations including the American Embassy and the African Women Development Fund.

She said the centre exports some of their products to clients in the USA, Germany, Canada, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Madam Teviu said the products the outfit is capable of producing is about 100 metric tons per month of bulk raw Sheabutter.

She said the Sheabutter is excellent additive to soap, shampoos, lotions to moisten and protect the skin and scalp and improves hair texture and growth.