By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, May 03, GNA – Mr Abdul Samad Nurudeen, the Bono Regional Secretary for the People’s National Convention (PNC) says the party is unhappy that the government is unable to control prices of cashew in the country.
He implored the government to do more and find alternatives to buy cashew directly from the farmers and producers so as to stabilise prices for the cash crop.
Speaking in an interview with the media in Sunyani, Mr Nurudeen said: “Cashew farmers in the region are now left at the mercy of middlemen who set their own prices for farmers as the government remains powerless to control the prices.
“The situation hasn’t changed despite government initiatives to stabilize prices, thereby, putting farmers whose livelihoods depend on cashew cultivation in a state of dilemma.
“This is an indication that the government has no direct control over cashew pricing, which is primarily influenced by the forces of demand and supply in the market.”
The situation, Mr Nurudeen added, had forced farmers to rely on intermediaries “who buy cashew cheap from them and then sell it to Indian exporters for higher prices.”
He said the absence of an instrument to regulate the sector “has also caused a cartel to grow.”
He said because “there isn’t enough control, small-scale cashew growers, who make up most of the farmers in the industry are taking for granted.
Also, “the middlemen are taking advantage of the farmers, and offering them low and non-negotiable rates for their produce”.
Mr Nurudeen therefore appealed to the government to regulate the cashew industry and industry and standard price control in the country.
GNA