Ghana Commodity Exchange seeks bigger role in shea trade as government pushes local processing, tightens export controls
The Ghana Commodity Exchange is pressing the government to require part of the country’s domestic shea trade to pass through its platform, a proposal its chief executive Evelyn Abakah outlined at the World Shea Expo in Tamale on September 15-17. The Tree Crops Development Authority has introduced a minimum producer price of GHS9.01 per kilogram for the 2026 crop season and requires exporters to obtain permits for shea and other regulated tree crops, while President John Mahama has said the government wants roughly 50% to 60% of shea, cashew and rubber production processed locally each year. Processors support greater domestic value addition but differ over the pace of restricting raw exports, with Ghana Shea Employers Association President Rabiatu Abukari proposing that exporters be allowed to ship about 20% to 30% of production.
Why it matters: It shows how trade policy and value-chain upgrading in agricultural commodities are being pursued through market infrastructure, minimum prices and export permits rather than outright bans.