Turning Waste into Wealth: GPSCP II empowers women, youth with cashew apple processing skills

Ghana Private Sector Competitive Programme II (GPSCPII) launched a week-long training today in the Jaman South District. The training is on cashew apple processing and total product utilisation.

The initiative is funded by the Swiss Government through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). 100 women and youth are participating, and 74% of them are female. The training will teach them how to transform cashew apples into products such as juice and jams. Juliana Ofori-Karikari, Team Lead of GPSCPII, said that roughly 2.4 million tonnes of cashew apples-representing 90% of the total fruit yield-go to waste each year. She also noted that "Cashew apple contains some of the highest vitamin C concentrations among tropical fruits, boasting 4-5 times more vitamin C than oranges and 12 times more than pineapple." The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Jaman South, Hon. Siatta Ouattara, called on cashew farmers to collaborate with officers from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to improve their knowledge and boost yields. She emphasized, "The use of the cashew fruits will not only increase your income but also boost the local economy." Several beneficiaries thanked the organizers and expressed optimism about starting their own small-scale processing businesses. One female participant shared, "I never knew the cashew apple was so valuable. We have been throwing away money all these years. Now I have the skills to make juice and jam to sell in my community."

As the week-long training unfolds, participants will receive hands-on instruction in hygiene, processing techniques, packaging and basic business management.