The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, has vehemently denied viral claims that the mandatory Conveyance Certificate System (CCS) constitutes a new burden on farmers, stating that it is a regulatory measure designed to track movement, ensure quality, and combat theft.
According to Dr. Okrah, the TCDA has launched the mandatory CCS for six key tree crops—cashew, shea, mango, coconut, rubber, and oil palm—emphasizing that the TCDA is a non-profit state institution.
He maintained that the CCS, backed by Act 1010 and L.I. 2471, partners with the Forestry Commission (FC) to enforce compliance, with penalties for moving produce without a certificate.
Dr. Okrah added that the TCDA, though a state institution, operates with a private-sector-driven approach and targets crops such as cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea to strengthen traceability, reduce illegal trade, and ensure compliance with TCDA standards.
The CEO explained that the TCDA is partnering with the Forestry Commission to utilize nationwide checkpoints to enforce the new CCS under L.I. 2471. He stressed that this initiative aims to curb illegal trade of tree crops and integrate TCDA’s regulatory framework with the Forestry Commission’s checkpoint system to inspect vehicles transporting crops like cashew, shea, and oil palm.
This partnership, he added, is intended to stop illegal trade, improve sector governance, and track the movement of crops across Ghana. Failure to comply with the CCS, he warned, will result in sanctions under TCDA regulations.
Dr. Okrah was responding to viral claims made by farmer and food systems consultant Richard Odum Nyumuah, who argued that the CCS is a burden on farmers.
Dr. Okrah described Mr. Nyumuah’s article, titled “Tree Crops Conveyance Certificates: A New Burden on Farmers Disguised as Reform,” as misleading and urged the public to disregard the malicious reports.
Speaking in an interview at his East Legon office in Accra on Wednesday, March 24, 2026, Dr. Okrah defended the CCS, stating that it is designed to improve oversight, enhance traceability, ensure transparency, and safeguard the long-term viability of Ghana’s tree crop industry.
Response to “Burden” Claims
Contrary to claims that the certificates impose hidden levies, rent-seeking, or bureaucratic harassment, Dr. Okrah argued that the system brings much-needed order to the industry. He emphasized that the TCDA, in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, is cracking down on illegal transport of commodities like cashew, oil palm, and shea.
Dr. Okrah explained that the initiative is part of a broader effort to regulate the tree crops value chain, which is essential for organizing the sector, increasing value addition, and creating sustainable jobs.
The original article by Mr. Nyumuah argued that the system could create additional hurdles and costs for smallholder farmers. Dr. Okrah rejected this, stating that the TCDA has been made aware of a misleading publication by AmaGhana.com and Soireenewsonline dated Friday, March 20, 2026, and demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the media outlets and individuals involved.
He reiterated that under his leadership, the TCDA is focused on regulating six strategic tree crops: cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango, and shea, with the goal of boosting exports, increasing farmer incomes, and strengthening agricultural industrialization.
Dr. Okrah also cautioned Mr. Kwame Nkrumah and others against spreading falsehoods, highlighting that TCDA operates on an inclusive governance model with 24 out of 29 board members representing actors across the value chain.
He stressed that every regulatory intervention, including the CCS, is based on extensive stakeholder consultations, not top-down policymaking.
He emphasized that the CCS reflects the expressed needs of producers, traders, processors, and exporters who are directly impacted by inefficiencies, theft, and unregulated trade practices.
Addressing Specific Allegations
On claims that the CCS introduces hidden taxation or reduces incomes, Dr. Okrah clarified that the CCS is not a revenue-generation tool.
Instead, he maintained that it aligns with international trade compliance frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), ensuring Ghanaian exports remain competitive and accessible to global markets.
On concerns about delays and inefficiencies, he explained that the TCDA operates a private-sector-oriented, efficiency-driven model. Any informal intermediaries are distortions that the CCS aims to eliminate through digitalized, streamlined processes.
On comparisons to the cocoa haulage model, Dr. Okrah refuted the claims, stating that the CCS is a bespoke system tailored for tree crops, stakeholder-driven, and decentralized to accommodate perishable goods.
On allegations of lacking stakeholder input, he noted that farmers, processors, traders, and exporters are formally represented at the highest decision-making level—the Board.
On traceability, he stressed that while some processors have internal systems, these are fragmented. The CCS introduces a harmonized, nationwide framework, enhancing credibility, consistency, and regulatory oversight.
On simpler alternatives like waybills, Dr. Okrah explained that these lack verification, integration, enforcement, and policy-planning capacity. The CCS provides a comprehensive system for documentation, verification, and accountability.
Conclusion
Dr. Okrah reaffirmed that the Tree Crops Conveyance Certificate System is not a burden but a strategic reform tool essential for transforming Ghana’s tree crops sector.
The system protects farmers from theft and exploitation, ensures fair pricing through traceability, aligns Ghana with international trade requirements, eliminates illegal market activities, and strengthens data-driven policymaking.
Far from being a bureaucratic imposition, the CCS is a forward-looking intervention designed to secure the long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and profitability of the sector. Dr. Okrah warned that discrediting the CCS without acknowledging these realities risks misinforming stakeholders and undermining critical national development efforts.
Pix: Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tree Crops Development Authority
