Ghana will inject US$4.6 million into the country’s shea sector with backing from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The funding targets the revival of PBC Shea Limited, a local shea nut processing company that has stood idle since 2019.
Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku announced the measure on 22nd July, during the inauguration of PBC Shea’s new board of directors. He stated that the funds will also boost the capacity of local shea nut producers, ensuring a stable raw material supply to the company’s processing facility in the Savannah region.
PBC Shea’s plant, built in 2012, shut down operations six years ago due to the absence of funding for raw material purchases. The management confirmed that the facility can handle up to 200 tons of shea nuts per day, producing both shea butter and shea oil.
Although the minister did not confirm the date of operations resuming, the government’s move signals a strong push for industrial growth in the shea sector. The plan to restart PBC Shea aligns with broader ambitions to increase domestic processing and reduce dependency on raw exports.
Earlier this month, on 9th July, the government announced its intention to gradually phase out raw shea nut exports by 2026. The policy aims to generate more value locally by expanding the production of processed shea products.
According to the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX), raw nuts currently represent around 75% of all shea sector exports. In contrast, shea butter contributes just 18%, and shea oil only 5%.
Data from the global agricultural platform Tridge show that Ghana produced an average of 33,760 tons of shea nuts annually between 2018 and 2022. While Ghana ranks as the world’s fifth-largest shea producer – behind Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Benin – the country aims to climb the value chain through stronger local industry support.
