Core Viewpoint - The Ghanaian government is finalizing a palm oil plantation policy aimed at placing agriculture at the center of its economic revival strategy, leveraging the potential of palm oil and other strategic crops to create significant employment opportunities [1] Industry Summary - The palm oil sector is highlighted as a key area of focus, referred to as "red gold," due to the substantial gap between production and consumption, which, if bridged, could stimulate significant job creation [1] - Ghana currently consumes approximately 250,000 metric tons of palm oil annually, while domestic production stands at only 50,000 metric tons, necessitating costly imports [1] - Local artisanal palm oil processing plants exhibit low production and extraction rates, indicating that modern, intensive production techniques are required to meet consumption demands [1] Government Initiatives - The government plans to develop a comprehensive national palm oil industry policy to incentivize growth and strengthen the entire value chain [1] - During the policy implementation phase, the government will distribute 1.5 million oil palm seedlings to encourage farmers to participate in contract farming initiatives [1]