Economy

The primary occupation of Tetrem is farming mostly cocoa farming. In the 1980s, for three consecutive years, the Chief Cocoa Farmer of Ghana, Nana Kwaku Nokore (deceased), came from Tetrem with all his cocoa farms developed in and around the town. There were other reputable cocoa farmers in the town who had extensive farms that took days and weeks to harvest the cocoa seeds. Over the years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the main stay of the local economy (cocoa farming) collapsed due to the extreme dry season causing hunger and bush fires that destroyed the farms and people’s livelihood. Since then the town has been struggling to survive socially and economically. Other farming activities include production of foodstuffs (like plantain, cocoayam, cassava, etc), oil palm, fruits (like orange, pineapple, etc) and vegetable farming. These activities have not had any noticeable effects on the local economy but keep the residents living at a subsistence level. One unique type of plantain called “Apem” that is produced in Tetrem is noted all over the Ashanti region and the nation as the best apem you can ever found. Thus, the nickname, “Tetrem Apem”, is a sought-after commodity by traders. There are no factories, civil service jobs, mineral activity and financial services industry in the town.