Ghana could significantly expand domestic processing of raw cashew nuts under a proposed partnership between the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and PSL Machinery, a global manufacturer of cashew processing equipment and turnkey factory solutions.
The proposal, currently under review by TCDA, seeks to establish multiple cashew processing plants in the country and scale up processing capacity as part of efforts to increase value addition in the sector.
If implemented, the initiative aims to enable full domestic processing of Ghana’s cashew output within five years, targeting a processing capacity of about 500,000 metric tonnes annually—double the country’s estimated annual production of roughly 250,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts (RCNs).
The move is expected to strengthen Ghana’s position in the global cashew value chain and enable the country to capture greater economic value from the crop, which remains one of its most important non-traditional exports.
The Chief Executive Officer of TCDA, Dr. Addy Osei Okrah, confirmed that discussions were ongoing.
We are considering a proposal from PSL Machinery. Once evaluated, TCDA will determine the specific nature of the partnership,” he said.
Ghana is among Africa’s leading cashew producers, but local processing remains limited. More than 90 per cent of the country’s raw cashew nuts are exported without processing, largely to Asian markets where they are shelled, processed and re-exported as finished products.
According to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), cashew exports generated about US$400 million in 2024, highlighting the crop’s growing importance within Ghana’s non-traditional export sector.
However, industry stakeholders say the country continues to lose substantial value due to its limited processing capacity.
Over the years, several cashew processing factories established across producing regions have shut down or are operating below capacity, mainly due to inadequate supply of raw nuts, obsolete equipment and high operational costs.
A few processors remain active, but many struggle to operate at optimal levels, constraining efforts to expand value addition and job creation within the sector.
The proposed partnership is expected to complement ongoing government efforts to develop the tree crops sector, which includes cashew, cocoa, rubber, oil palm, coconut and shea.
The African Business Development Director of PSL Machinery, Bilal Saab, said the initiative would focus on building new processing facilities while supporting existing factories to improve their operational efficiency.
He noted that the company also plans to deploy technical personnel in Ghana to assist processors in upgrading equipment and meeting modern production standards.
In addition to nut processing, the proposal also seeks to promote utilisation of cashew apples, which account for roughly 70 per cent of the total cashew harvest but are largely wasted due to limited processing technologies and infrastructure.
Cashew apples can be processed into juice, jam, wine and other by-products, presenting additional income opportunities for farmers and agribusiness operators.
The cashew sector supports the livelihoods of more than 200,000 farmers, mainly in the Bono, Bono East, Northern, Savannah and Volta regions, where the crop plays a critical role in rural incomes and employment.
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