The National Association of Sheanut Farmers, Processors and Buyers have organized a stakeholders’ workshop in Tamale as part of the BUSAC funded advocacy action.
The advocacy action entitled “towards halting the arbitrary felling of the shea tree” is geared towards the protection of shea trees from bush burning and other related activities that affect shea trees.
Highlighting on the importance and challenges of the sheanut industry, a consultant for BUSAC fund, Alhaji Nashiru Kadri said sheanut is the backbone of the three Northern Regions, saying it generates wealth locally and earns foreign exchange for Ghana’s economy.
Alhaji Kadri added that a survey was conducted and the findings indicated that the shea industry engages more than nine hundred thousand women in the three Northern Regions.
This number, according to the report, collects over one hundred and thirty thousand tons of dry nuts annually.
The secretary of the association, Emmanual Abu Alhassan Nyebto called on government to keep to its promise of forming a sheanut board to separate them from the Ghana Cocoa board.
Mr Alhassan Nyebto said, this when done will help boost sheanut in the international market.
The association appealed to chiefs not to release lands to people who will destroy shea trees.
The association also appealed to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to assist sheanut dealers and pickers by providing them with logistics that will make the work easy for them.
The association added that women who pick sheanuts end up picking 40% of nuts living 60% in the bush due to the lack of logistics especially wallenton boots and hand gloves.
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