TCDA adopts Upper West MATCO mango farm as northern prototype, warns against shea tree destruction

The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) will adopt the MATCO Mango Plantation in the Upper West Region as its northern prototype for commercial mango cultivation and youth training. Chief Executive Officer Dr Andy Osei Okrah announced this during a regional tour that included a call on the Upper West Regional Minister at the Regional Coordinating Council in Wa and a full inspection of the 50‑acre farm. He noted that while southern and eastern zones have long dominated mango production, the Upper West’s soil and climate offer strong potential for national economic growth through tree crops. The Authority’s mandate under Act 1010 of 2019 lists six priority crops – cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea – three of which thrive naturally in the region. Dr Okrah said the plantation will serve as a prototype that can be scaled to other areas, enabling more young people and women to enter commercial tree‑crop farming and create wealth. He urged graduates and unemployed youth to consider commercial agriculture, stating that modern technology makes farming profitable and that land is readily available for planting even small plots of mango or cashew.

The plantation owner, Mr Matthew Song-Aabo, explained that the farm was prepared in 2006 and planted in 2007, now comprising about 5,600 mango trees. He invested heavily in water infrastructure, drilling four boreholes and installing a 40,000‑litre gravity‑fed drip system with 70 standpipes, but limited irrigation has kept annual output around 60 tonnes, below the national target of 12 tonnes per acre. Seasonal diseases such as Bacterial Black Spot and anthracnose have also constrained yields. Mr Song-Aabo said that with technical and investor support from TCDA, yields could rise, jobs expand and revenue increase.

Dr Okrah responded that the TCDA Mango Value Chain Committee will provide input assistance, technical guidance and market linkages to northern growers. He reaffirmed government policy that emphasises local processing and value addition to reduce post‑harvest losses. He also announced that the Authority has secured office space in Wa, in partnership with the Regional Coordinating Council and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which will be refurbished and officially opened within two weeks to decentralise TCDA operations in the region.

During the visit Dr Okrah issued a strong warning against the illegal felling, burning or poisoning of shea trees, describing the practice as a criminal offence under L.I. 2471 punishable by a minimum five‑year prison term. He stressed that public education is underway but recalcitrant offenders will be prosecuted fully.