• Ghana partners with Onesta on $50M Redgold palm oil project covering 10,000 hectares
• Project targets jobs, sustainability, and reduced rural poverty through farming and processing
• Supports national strategy to cut palm oil imports, which averaged 257,400 metric tons annually

The Ghanaian government has partnered with agribusiness company Onesta Ghana Ltd to launch the Redgold Oil Palm Plantation Project (ROPP). The public-private partnership, officially unveiled on Wednesday, July 9, aims to strengthen local palm oil production.

Local media reports indicate the initiative expects to mobilize $50 million in its initial development phase. The project includes developing and operating 10,000 hectares of oil palm plantations, establishing a central industrial estate, and implementing a supply program involving smallholder farmers.

"This project will provide end-to-end solutions from cultivation to processing and refining, delivering quality products while promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability," said Maxwell Commey, Executive Director of Onesta Ghana Ltd.

John Setor Dumelo, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, added, "Investment in the palm oil sector has the potential to provide jobs, improve local economies, and reduce rural poverty. We at the Ministry of Agriculture will give Onesta Ghana the conducive environment and support needed to accomplish this resounding vision."

The ROPP aligns with the government’s palm oil industrialization strategy, announced in April. This broader strategy aims to develop an additional 50,000 hectares of industrial plantations across the country through private sector investment. The overall goal is to boost local palm oil production and reduce reliance on imports.

According to data compiled by the FAO, Ghana imported an average of 257,400 metric tons of crude palm oil (CPO) annually between 2019 and 2023. These imports primarily came from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Colombia.

Stéphanas Assocle