The Ghana Small-Scale Oil Palm Producers Association (GOPPA) has lauded the 2026 Budget, describing it as a major transformational milestone for the country’s oil palm value chain.
According to GOPPA, the launch of the National Policy on Integrated Oil Palm Development, supported by a GH¢6.9 billion budget allocation and a US$500 million long-term financing window, represents the strongest signal yet of government’s commitment to fully industrialise Ghana’s “Red Gold” sector.
In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Kojo Obeng Berkoh, the Association highlighted that the new policy includes major interventions such as developing 100,000 hectares of new plantations, creating over 250,000 jobs, and scaling up support for processing, value addition, and downstream growth.
GOPPA also praised the introduction of an outgrower partnership scheme, which will provide smallholders with high-yield seedlings, mechanised support, subsidised inputs, and guaranteed off-take arrangements to stabilise farmer incomes.
The Association further welcomed the US$500 million concessional finance window, noting that its five-year moratorium and long repayment period align perfectly with the seven-year maturity cycle of oil palm, making it a practical lifeline for farmers and processors.
It also commended planned investments to strengthen key industry institutions, including the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), the Oil Palm Research Institute, and EXIM Bank, which it says are crucial for sustaining sector-wide transformation.
With its current 3,000-member network projected to expand to 20,000 farmers within the next four years, GOPPA says it is ready to support the full rollout of the policy and help position Ghana as a competitive producer of sustainable palm oil.
Source: citinewsroom
