A research conducted by the Alliance for Development and Industrialization (ADI), has revealed that Ghana could potentially generate as much as US$5 billion annually within the next five to ten years through the development, expansion and exports of non-traditional crops.
In a statement signed and issued by the leadership of ADI, the group posits that the Ghanaian economy can be brought back onto a sound footing and subsequently sustained if cash crops such as avocado, coconut, citrus, shea butter, cashew, mango among others are well invested in.
ADI argues that, each of the aforementioned cash crop can rake in for the country a minimum of $600 million.
“According to our research, avocado in the next five to ten years could generate US$1.2 billion, shea butter with its global demand could give the country like US$1 billion which would be the golden crop of the land, citrus US$1 billion, mango US$1 billion, coconut we can generate at last US$600 million and cashew about US$600 to US$900 million,” an excerpt of the statement read.
“The government cannot continue with its traditional way of raising revenue for this country, we need to diversify and build our own source of revenue to develop this country,” the statement read further.
ADI therefore called on Government to partner the private sector to handle the development, establishment, management, post harvest and processing of these cash crops for the international market.
The group also noted that the holistic development and expansion of cash crops would create jobs for over 1.5 million Ghanaians.
