Some cashew farmers in Wenchi, a town in the Bono Region, have appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to direct the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) to fix and announce the minimum producer price for raw cashew nuts (RCNs) before the December 7 general election.
According to the farmers, announcing the minimum producer price for RCNs for the 2024-2025 cashew season before the election will enable stakeholders in the cashew value chain to conduct business without uncertainty.
The cashew farmers, led by the National Chairman of the Cashew Farmers Association, Nana Adu Boamponsem V, expressed their sentiments during an interaction with journalists in Wenchi over the weekend.
Nana Adu Boamponsem V – National Chairman, Cashew Farmers Association
Nana Adu Boamponsem V stated:
“If the minimum producer price for cashew is fixed before the election on December 7, it will be binding on the next government irrespective of the political party that forms the government.”
He suggested that factors such as the cedi-to-dollar exchange rate and the international market price for RCN should be considered before setting the minimum price.
“Currently, the cost of producing cashews has multiplied, and if the TCDA does not consider all the necessary indicators before fixing the price, it will adversely affect us, the farmers,” Nana Boamponsem emphasized.
Challenges Faced by Cashew Farmers
The National Chairman noted that President Akufo-Addo’s government has fulfilled only one promise to cashew farmers: establishing the Tree Crops Development Authority.
“We have heard that other tree crop farmers have received some support from the government, but those of us cultivating cashews have not received anything.
This means that President Akufo-Addo has failed to fulfill his promises to us. We urge the TCDA to confer with the government and help resource cashew farmers to meet the target of 400,000 metric tons of RCNs in four years,” he added.
Nana Boamponsem further called on the government to honor its pledge to elevate the cashew industry to the level of cocoa, making cashew Ghana’s highest foreign exchange earner.
Appeals by Cashew Farmers
The Secretary of the farmers, Yahaya Bellu, also appealed to the government to allow foreign buyers of cashew nuts to purchase directly from cooperatives or farmers if local buyers fail to buy at the announced minimum price.
He warned that the cashew farmers would “advise themselves” during the December 7 election if their demands are not met.
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