Tree Crops Development Authority adopts Upper West mango farm as northern prototype

The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has selected the 50-acre MATCO Mango Plantation in Ghana’s Upper West Region to serve as a northern prototype for commercial tree-crop farming. TCDA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andy Osei Okrah announced the initiative during a regional tour, stating the goal is to replicate this model across northern Ghana to drive agricultural industrialisation.

While mango production has historically been concentrated in the southern and eastern belts, such as Somanya, the TCDA aims to leverage the untapped soil and agronomic potential of the Upper West Region. The project specifically targets young people and women, encouraging them to engage in commercial agriculture through the use of technology to ensure profitability.

The MATCO plantation, established by Matthew Song-Aabo, features approximately 5,600 mango trees. Although the farm utilizes a gravity-fed drip irrigation system, capital constraints have limited irrigation to about 60 percent of the land. The TCDA intends to use the site to demonstrate how tree crops like mango, cashew, and shea can facilitate economic transformation and create wealth in the region.