Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has planted the first hybrid shea plantation farm at Futa in the Tamale South Constituency as Ghana intensifies efforts to increase shea production and raise earnings from the industry.
The demonstration farm, known as the John Mahama Shea Demonstration Farm, is expected to be the first man-made shea plantation of its scale in Ghana. The planting was conducted in the presence of President John Dramani Mahama as part of activities marking the 3rd edition of the World Shea Expo in Tamale.
The hybrid shea variety was developed through research by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and is expected to significantly reduce the period required for the trees to mature.
Unlike the wild shea variety, which takes about 30 years to mature, the hybrid variety is expected to begin maturing in about three years.
The development is expected to provide a new opportunity for commercial shea cultivation and support efforts to increase production to meet growing demand for shea products locally and internationally.
Ghana currently produces an estimated 130,000 to 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, valued at about US$350 million, up from US$180 million in 2023.
In 2025, Ghana was ranked the world’s leading shea exporter, with exports of unprocessed shea nuts alone contributing about US$177 million to non-traditional agricultural export earnings.
With increased investment in modern processing facilities, mechanised harvesting, cold storage and all-season logistics, Ghana is targeting annual shea nut production of 400,000 metric tonnes, estimated to be worth about US$640 million.
Speaking at the World Shea Expo, the Vice President stressed the need for Ghana to move beyond the export of raw shea nuts and process more of the commodity locally to create jobs and increase earnings for producers and communities.
She said greater value could be derived from the shea industry through processing, innovation, branding and stronger participation by women across the value chain.
The establishment of the hybrid plantation forms part of efforts to bring research and innovation into practical agricultural production while strengthening Ghana’s position in the global shea industry.
