Increase cashew price in the upcoming cashew season – Cashew Farmers appeal to Government
The Cashew Farmers Association of Amoma community a suburb of the Jaman South Municipality has appealed to government and the leaders of the Tree Crop Development Authority to provide an increment to the Ghc5.00 cashew price set for the 2021/2022 cashew season ahead.
According to the Akuafo Nkoso cashew Farmers Association in the Amoma community, has expressed their gratitude to the president and the NPP government for the establishment of the Tree Crop development Authority to steer the affairs and regulate the price of cashew production in the country and forms part of boosting agriculture in Ghana.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with some selected media, Mr. Kusi Emmanuel, the Secretary to the Akuafo Nkosuo Cashew, indicated that all the farming inputs have experienced tremendous price hikes which are highly affecting the work of the farmers in the country hence government and the Tree Crop Development Authority must consider a reasonable and considerable benchmark price for the purchasing of cashew nuts in the 2022/2023 cashew season which according to him shouldn’t fall below Ghc12.00 or 1 dollar price.
He added that most Cashew purchasing clerks in the country always find it difficult to purchase the nuts as a result of financial constraints which compel them to solely depend on foreigners for funds before they can commence effective cashew purchasing which according to him affects purchasing price.
Therefore pleaded with the government to support the purchasing clerks with some soft loans to begin their purchasing process to deny the foreigners from dictating the purchasing price for the farmers stressing that government support to the Cashew purchasing clerks will stabilize the Benchmark price that may be set for the farmers up keep.
Meanwhile the agric extension officer of Amoma community a suburb of Jaman south in the Kintanpo district, Mr Samuel Addo was optimistic that if the government is going to take closer look on farming he doesn’t think Ghana will go inn for any loans from the foreign.
According to him, the Amoma community is a cashew and mango farming area with rich cultural of fresh fruits that contains natural nutrition.
He observed that as an extension officer of the community he can boldly state that the farmers needs serious help and attention from government.
Mr Addo also revealed that the last time the assembly come to the aid of the farmers only 30 people benefited from the seedlings program and left about hundred of them.
The farmers are going through difficulties seeks of the pricing didn’t help them at all not to talk of the production before the harvest season.
“I plea with government to do something about the pricing and also help them with some financial assistance to enable them do more than what they’re doing now” he stressed.
The road that link to the Amoma community is very bad and needs urgent attention to be fixed.
