The Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), in collaboration with the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG), has held a high-level stakeholder engagement to address the growing menace of illegal vegetable oil importation into Ghana, a threat that continues to undermine the local oil palm industry.
The meeting, held on Thursday, October 17, 2025, at the TCDA/TCDP Office in Adjiriganor, Accra, brought together representatives from key state institutions, including National Security, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, the Judiciary, Ghana Shippers Authority, and major industry players such as Wilmar Africa and Royvia Plus.
Opening the session, Dr. Andrew Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of TCDA, called for a multi-agency approach to tackle the issue.
He highlighted the Authority’s plans to introduce a traceability and conveyance certification system for the oil palm value chain, stressing that coordinated enforcement and public awareness of the TCDA Act 1010 and L.I. 2471 are crucial to sanitizing the market.
The President of OPDAG, Mr. Paul Kwabena Amaning, expressed concern over the increasing volumes of unregulated foreign vegetable oil flooding the market, warning that the practice could cripple local processors and cost the sector over 900 jobs.
He appealed to government agencies to intensify enforcement and safeguard the competitiveness of local producers.
The engagement concluded with a resolution to form a Joint Enforcement Task Force comprising TCDA, National Security, Police, Immigration, FDA, and Customs to clamp down on smuggling and strengthen regulatory compliance.
Stakeholders also pledged to enhance collaboration and support the implementation of TCDA’s digital traceability system to ensure transparency across the oil palm value chain.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of TCDA, OPDAG, and partner institutions to protect Ghana’s oil palm sector, promote fair trade, and preserve local jobs for sustainable economic growth.