Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), through the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), has achieved a significant milestone by successfully producing biodiesel from shea butter, according to COCOBOD CEO, Joseph Boahen Aidoo.
During a durbar of chiefs and cocoa farmers in Offinso, Konongo Odumase, and Juaso in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Aidoo announced that CRIG’s research had successfully reduced the gestation period of shea plants from 35-40 years to just three years.
This breakthrough is poised to transform shea farming, particularly in the northern parts of the country, offering new economic opportunities to farmers.
Mr. Aidoo pointed out that the expansion of shea cultivation might eventually lower the market value of shea butter. To enhance its economic benefits, he instructed CRIG to investigate the feasibility of producing biodiesel from shea butter.
While biodiesel production has been successfully achieved, it has not yet reached the commercialization stage.
He expressed hope that biodiesel production could become a major contributor to the renewable energy sector, benefiting cocoa farmers who rely on premixed fuel for their machinery.
In the future, Mr. Aidoo forecasted that Ghana could eliminate the need to import premixed fuel, as local shea nut cultivation would be sufficient to support biodiesel production.
“We now have shea nut seedlings that grow within just three years, and we are providing them to farmers in northern parts of the country,” he said.
“This biodiesel works like premixed fuel, the same kind used in machines on our cocoa farms – whether for spraying, weeding or pruning.”
Mr. Aidoo added that ongoing research is focused on ensuring that biodiesel is suitable for use in vehicles.
As part of this initiative, COCOBOD has already established a shea plantation in Bole, a district in the Savannah Region, and has set up a large nursery to produce high-quality seedlings for farmers.
The conversion of shea butter into biodiesel represents an exciting opportunity to diversify the economic impact of shea farming in the region.
