Prospects And Challenges Of The Shea Industry In The Northern Region Of Ghana

ABSTRACT

Recently, the shea nut/butter has emerged as a promising economic commodity and has gained international recognition because of its curative properties. It is the potential of the industry that has informed this research. The study basically sought to find out the performance of the shea industry, prospects and challenges in the midst of Government intervention in the industry, the opportunities for further developing the shea tree as a cultivar, appraise the opportunities and potentials for further development for export, and the role of government. The case study approach was adopted using purposive, snowball and random sampling procedures in selecting three districts; Gushegu, East Gonja and Central Gonja; 3 communities from each and 30 respondents from each community, made up of shea pickers and processors, 8 processing groups and 2 marketing companies. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The research revealed that cutting down of shea trees to plant exotic mangoes and biofuel is going on, lack of effective government policy frame work document, using of the traditional methods for processing is tedious and time consuming, there is income and employment potentials in the shea products against the background of increasing international demand for shea nuts and butter and also for private sector involvement. The introduction of improved processing equipment and technologies as well as the use of Motor King Bicycles for transporting the nuts from the bush is adding to the high prospects of reducing the unpicked nut each year meet the increasing demand. The study recommends public education on the protection and cultivation of shea trees, good practice on handling shea and its products. Government intervention in the shea industry is being sought to avert the exploitation of rural women and their households, and to support them to get buyers both locally and internationally.