Cashew buyers assoc. denies allegations of short-changing farmers

The cashew nut buyers association has refuted claims that it has been short-changing farmers.

The cashew nut farmers in a statement have accused the buyers of quoting unsustainable prices for their harvest.

Cashew has been one of Ghana’s long standing cash crops and a major source of forex for the nation.

The country now produces close to a hundred thousand tons of cashew every year. But the farmers complain of diminishing profits due to the producer buying price in Ghana.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the Cashew Buyers Association Alex Owusu Adjei contends the allegations of the farmers are untrue.

He tells Ultimate News that the going farm gate price for Ghanaian farmers is the highest on the continent only second to Guinea Bissau.

‘Which ever prices you quote will definitely not be sufficient for farmers, they will always ask for more. When you compare all the countries in West Africa, Ghana has the highest price with the exception of Guinea Bissau because of the open market system, Ghana is buying GH4.00 at the farm gate, our price is better than Burkina Faso, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire,’ he explained.

He blamed the dwindling fortunes of the farmers on the land tenure system and the reluctance of cashew farmers to expand their farms.