The Techiman Municipal office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the Bono East region has received 81,000 hybrid coconut seedlings from the Coconut Federation of Ghana (COCOFEG) for distribution to farmers.
It forms part of the government’s efforts to scale up agribusiness and improve livelihoods of Ghanaian farmers in the coconut sector and stimulate economic growth, among others.
The free Coconut Seedlings support, dubbed Presidential Initiative in Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA) was announced by President John Mahama this year and it’s being implemented in collaboration with the Coconut Federation of Ghana (COCOFEG) with Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor as the Director.
Mr. Stephen Aidoo, the Techiman Municipal Director of Agric told rbnewshub.com that the coconut seedlings distribution is a nationwide strategic government initiative funded by the Ghana Exim Bank as part of efforts to diversify Ghana’s export sector by boosting Agribusiness and accelerate national economic growth.
He stated that the project has given opportunities to interested small-holder farmers, new commercials, cooperatives and young ‘agri-preneurs’ to register for seedlings to either expand or start their coconut farms.
Sustainable livelihood
Mr. Aidoo explained it is an opportunity for beneficiaries to build a sustainable livelihood through the coconut cultivation because coconut holds an unlimited potential for forex improvement and agro-industrialization.
According to him, between August 17 and October 1 this year, 61,000 seedlings were received and already distributed to the registered farmers while another 20,000 seedlings received on October 13, 2025, are still being distributed.
“So, far more than 500 small-scale and commercial farmers who registered have been served and are planting on about 1,000 acres of land in the Municipality”, Mr. Aidoo explained.
He lauded the initiative, saying it has high potential to position Ghana not only as the leading producer of coconuts in sub-Saharan Africa, but also as a formidable force in the global coconut industry.
Mr. Aidoo further indicated that the initiative is in line with the Feed the Industry Programme, another core pillar of the PIAA, aimed at improving household nutrition as well as building strong foundation for agro-industrial growth to ensure absolute food security for the country.
He said a total of three million hybrid coconut seedlings would be distributed to farmers and interested individuals across the country, adding that coconut is a crop that embodies resilience, versatility and immense economic potential and thriving the industry globally.
He noted Coconut is a remarkable crop creating millions of jobs and building strong export markets around the sector and has annual production of over 65 million metric tons, with 95 percent of this output coming from small-holder farmers.
Direct and indirect jobs
Mr. Aidoo said the project is expected to create over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs and boost export revenue by 60 per cent from $11.4 million in 2021 to more than $18.1 million each year.
“Under the watch of Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, the Director of PIAA, coconut would no longer be just a coastal crop, the government is making the sector more attractive and lucrative to be actively cultivated in almost all the 16 regions of Ghana.”
Mr. Aidoo assured that men, women and youth would be engaged across nurseries, farming, processing, exporting, aggregation, and vending, all under the umbrella of the Coconut Federation of Ghana.
