Former President John Dramani Mahama, also the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the next NDC government will prioritise and invest into hugely into the cashew sector for the nation to derive the optimum economic benefits.

He said cashew remained an important cash crop highly demanded in the global market, promising that his government would make the sector more attractive as a key driver to economic growth and development.

Addressing the media in Techiman to run-off his Election 2024 campaign in the Bono East Region, he gave assurance that the huge cashew potential in the Bono East Region would not be left untapped.

Bono East is targeted as an agro-industrial zone that would focus on cashew production and processing to create jobs for the people and well position the sector to contribute significantly to rapid socio-economic growth and development.

Mr Mahama said his next government had plans to create 16 agro-industrial zones nationwide that would process and add value to agriculture products with competitive advantage to boost local economic growth and enhance national food security.

He expressed worry that even though Techiman had the largest market in the country, the creation of the Bono East Region had not brought the much-anticipated economic benefits, saying his government would make huge investments into the agricultural sector, with focus on cashew production and processing.

Mr Mahama said incentive packages would be provided to farmers, besides setting up processing factories, storage facilities and warehouses for cashew nuts and fruits.

The Bono East Agro-industrial zone would acquire acreage of land where the government would be responsible to provide electricity and water while interested private sector organisations and investors would leverage and build processing and storage facilities to add value to raw cashew, and other crops and vegetables, he explained.