Tamale, July 18, GNA- Mr. Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has stated that the government was determined to revamp the Sheanut industry in recognition of its poverty reduction role, particularly in northern Ghana.

He said, it was in this regard that MOFA was collaborating with Burkina Faso which had made advances in research into the shea tree to reduce the time the shea tree takes to fruit and improve upon its quality. Mr. Debrah was speaking at the launch of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) Limited Sheanut purchasing for the 2008/09 main crop season in Tamale on Thursday.

He said significant advances had also been made by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) to improve upon the growth characteristics of the shea tree and his Ministry would continue to sponsor further research by the institution in that direction. He said his Ministry was going to pursue all issues related to the Shea production and processing to make it the cocoa of the North adding:

"We are moving forward with the Shea tree".

Mr. Debrah appealed to farmers to make profitable use of the fertilizer which was being subsidized by the government to boost production, saying: "Subsidy is an expensive exercise". He reiterated that the coupons for the sale of the fertilizer were not for sale and urged farmers to report any agricultural extension officer who demands money before issuing the coupons.

Mr. Debrah told the farmers not to rush to purchase the fertilizer as the current subsidy exercise would continue until the situation returned to normalcy.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister who launched the Sheanut purchasing season said over 130,000 metric tons of sheanuts, representing over 50 per cent of the production were picked seasonally in northern Ghana.

He said this left a large proportion of the nuts in the bush. Alhaji Idris said nearly 70,000 metric tons of the nuts were processed and consumed locally while 45,000 metric tons of nuts were exported and only 15,000 metric tons of butter exported.

He said it was estimated that Ghana accounted for 22 per cent of the Sheanut and butter trade in West Africa adding: "There is no doubt that the Shea has a great potential as a foreign exchange earner comparable to Cocoa". Mr. Isaac Osei, Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) said the Board would support the Sheanut industry through the provision of protective clothing such as Wellington boots and gloves as well as snake serum to the pickers. He appealed to all Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) operating in the Sheanut industry to send regular reports to the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of COCOBOD indicating their purchases, exports as well as producer and export prices paid.

Mr. Osei said it was through a compilation and analyses of such data that the true state of the Sheanut industry could be determined and the necessary corrective policy measures instituted. 18 July 08