President John Dramani Mahama has directed that 3 million coconut seedlings be distributed to coconut farmers across the country.

The Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr Peter Otokunor, announced that the government plans to distribute the seedlings in an effort to increase the cultivable area of coconut from 90,000 hectares to 120,000 hectares.

According to him, statistics show that Ghana is currently ranked 12th in the world in coconut production.

He noted that although Ghana is number one in Africa, the country is still heavily underproducing, adding that coconut cultivation can be expanded across the country.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Dr Otokunor said the directive forms part of broader efforts by the government to harness the economic potential of the coconut industry.

“The medium-term vision is to move it to 150,000 hectares. Currently, we are doing 90,000 hectares. We hope that with these 3 million seedlings, we can move that to 110,000,” he said.

He added that the government will provide high-value, elite seedlings to growers, including some who are already engaged in commercial farming.

“It is becoming increasingly competitive in the global market, and so countries are planning to embark aggressively on this initiative. Just last week, we saw in the Philippines that the government is embarking on the distribution of about 50 million seedlings,” he stated.





SP/MA

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