Western Regional Minister endorses International Coconut Festival

The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has appealed to organizers of International Coconut Festival to consider organizing the next edition in Western Region.

His appeal apparently had followed the successful launch of the International Coconut Festival in Ghana on Tuesday 18th June 2019 under the theme: “Promoting Export Diversification through a Robust Ghanaian Coconut Industry".

Recognizing the impact of the Festival, the Minister quickly made a case for his Region when a delegation from the African Coconut Group (ACG), the organizers of the Festival, led by Mrs Sadia Mohammed, paid a working visit to him over the weekend.

They had a fruitful discussion with the Minister, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, his Deputy, Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi and other government officials present.

The visit primarily was to inform the Minister about the upcoming event scheduled to take place on 24th–26th September 2019 at the Accra International Conference Center.

During the closed-door discussions, one of the Directors of ACG, Mr Kwaku Boateng, indicated that coconut has been selected as one of the six crops under the presidential initiative of Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD).

According to him, the Festival, therefore, stands to present a good platform for all stakeholders.

"It will bring Producers and Buyers together on a common market platform for imports as well as exports. In the end, it will generate foreign exchange for the country", he said.

On his part, the Regional Minister, Darko-Mensah assured the team that his Region was ready to support and collaborate effectively with the group to have a successful event.

According to him, Western Region remains the hub of coconut in the country and that he was working on the quiet with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the PERD Program to increase the acreage in cultivation of coconut in the Region.

He said he also engages interested parties constantly to invest in government’s One District One Factory program.

He believes the program will add value to the raw coconut currently been produced by farmers.

To this end, he appealed to the Organizers of the Festival to consider organizing the next edition in Western Region.

"Organizing it here next year will give recognition to the region as the biggest producer of Coconut in Ghana", he observed.

The Festival is expected to drive traffic from Africa, Canada, Asia among others. It is also expected to bring experts together to share new ideas, opinions, mentoring, networking and unique learning platforms for coconut farmers, coconut products, coconut technology exporters and importers, coconut technology development giants, key public and private sector stakeholders, international and local coconut development partners, coconut research institutions, coconut investment and professional advisors and other corporate leaders involved in the coconut value chain.

Aside the Regional Minister Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Deputy Regional Minister Hon. Mrs. Euginia Gifty Kusi, Mr. Charles Cobbina (Executive Assistant).



Mr. Prince Awreh (Public Relations Officer) Mr. Theophilus Siaw Asare (Regional Agric Officer- Coconut), Mr. Abraham Appiah (Regional Agric Officer - Crops), Mr. John Kwamina Gyimah (Regional Agric Officer - Extension) Mr Patrick Ndabiah (Chairman of Coconut Federation).

Others were Mrs. Sadia Mohammed (ACG Head of Event/Corporate Affairs), Mr. Kwaku Boateng (Director of ACG), Mr. Kodzo Deku (ACG Media Team/CEO of Sokocentre).