The Central Regional Minister, Hon. Ekow Okyere Panyin Eduamoah, has unveiled plans to harness the vast but largely untapped potential of palm nut cultivation as a strategic pillar of the government’s “Red Economy” agenda, aimed at boosting job creation, rural development, and agro-industrial growth in the region.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with traditional authorities and MMDCEs from key palm nut-growing districts in collaboration with the Land Bank Secretariat of the Lands Commission at the Regional Coordinating Council, the minister emphasised that the Central Region possesses fertile lands, favourable climatic conditions, and a long history of palm cultivation.

According to the minister, the Red Economy, anchored on agriculture, agro-processing, and value addition, presents a unique opportunity to transform palm nut cultivation from subsistence farming into a thriving commercial enterprise capable of absorbing thousands of unemployed youth.

He said, "Palm nut cultivation is not just about farming; it is about jobs, industry, and wealth creation and we seek to engage the traditional authorities for ease in government acquisition of lands."

"From nurseries and plantations to processing, packaging, transportation, and export, the palm nut value chain offers enormous employment opportunities that we must deliberately exploit," he added.           

President of the Central Regional House Of Chiefs who doubles as Paramount Chief of the Breman Traditional Area, Odeefuo Amoakwa Boadu VIII, expressed the readiness of chiefs in the region for this initiative by the government.

"We don't wrestle with power but we are actors of development for our people so we will support the government for this initiative as it seek to alleviate unemployment in the country," he disclosed.