Remarks by Hon. William Agyapong Quaitto, CEO of TCDA at the launch of the 3rd edition of the International Coconut Festival

As delivered

Mr. Chairman;

Your Excellencies;

Hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, present;

Hon Members of Parliament, present;

GEPA and TCDA Board of Directors;

GEPA and TCDA Management;

Chairman, Africa Coconut Group

Development Partners Present;

Private sector partners,

Friends of the media;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning

I am glad to give a few remarks on the launch of the 3^rd Edition of the International Coconut Festival. I am particularly happy because TCDA, the statutorily established Authority mandated by Act 1010 to regulate and develop tree crops (including coconut) is able to fully participate in the organization of the 3^rd edition of the Coconut Festival. The 1^st and 2^nd and many other coconut activities have been organized and sponsored by GEPA, and we say a big thank you for your efforts.

Hon. Chairman, the theme for this year’s festival “invest in Ghana’s coconut sector for inclusive economic transformation and improved climate and social resilience”, I believe, was carefully chosen by the initiators of this annual event, African Coconut Group, to remind TCDA of its core object. The theme requests all of us gathered here and others who want to engage in some economic activity to put our capital (time, money etc) in a coconut value chain activity and that this will bring an elaborate economic change in our lives and make environmental and social systems to withstand these impacts so that they can thrive in spite of the impact.    

Hon. Chairman, The Authority is a unique, publicly mandated, private sector driven organization established to regulate and develop in a sustainable environment, the production, processing, and trading of six tree crops in Ghana, namely cashew, shea, mango, coconut, rubber, and oil palm. So, it is very clear that the theme for the festival is central to the object of TCDA and we view our sponsorship of this year’s a call to duty. We will continue to collaborate with and support you in all activities that will bring the inclusive economic transformation and improved climate and social resilience we anticipate.

As an Authority, our top priority Hon. Chairman, is to take a system approach to building a world-class national institution capable of orchestrating a competitive and sustainable market-driven tree crop industry in Ghana. We anticipate significant changes in the tree crop industry in three areas over the medium term:

• fostering policy and regulatory environments conducive to both public and private sector investment to stimulate growth;
• to respond adequately to market trends and demands, a strengthened and well-coordinated research agenda is required to drive quality and competitiveness in tree crops production, processing, and trading; and
• a thriving private sector is required to drive the scale and sustainability of growth in the tree crops industry.

Our strategic framework is thus, divided into four broad focus areas:

1) support for adaptive research;

2) production and value chain support;

3) capacity-building support to value chain actors; and

4) Licensing and regulation.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to inform you that TCDA has secured funding to finance the following interventions in the coconut sector through a project called Ghana Tree Crops Diversification Project (GTCDP).

1. Institutional Strengthening and Value Chain Governance;
2. Improving Coconut Productivity and Climate Resilience; and
3. Support for Post-Harvest Management, Value Addition, and Market Access.

Details of the funding source and the institutional arrangement for GTCDP will be given by the Hon. Minister in his key note address and the Deputy CEO (operations) / Project Coordinator in the second session of this launch.

As it is for most festivals, we intend the International Coconut Festival to be an annual event, a truly multicultural event that aims to unite all coconut communities worldwide by highlighting the diverse culinary and lifestyle applications of coconut and other superfoods. Exhibitors can sample and purchase a variety of coconut products, including those from local and international artisans to develop new business lines and share information on best practices and market opportunities.

I pray for a very successful festival that will bring about increased investment in the coconut sector and its positive consequential economic, climate and social impacts.

THANK YOU.