Farmers say they cannot sell their produce

Komfourkrom (B/A), July 18, GNA - Farmers in the Jaman South District have expressed concern about their inability to register for the mutual health insurance scheme due to lack of money.

They attributed their situation to the abysmal sale of their farm produce and have called on farmers to unite to fight for better deals. Nana Peter Kwasi Yeboah, chairman of the Kuapa Farmers and Marketing Association, said this at a durbar organised for farmers, chiefs and people in the district at Komfourkrom at the weekend. He said statistics showed that many farmers who could not register for the scheme could not sell their produce that included maize, yams, pepper and cash crops.

Nana Yeboah, who is Chief of Komfourkrom, said the farmers were "utterly disappointed, dejected and frustrated" and could not pay back loans granted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to expand their farms.

Mr Paul Adinkrah, secretary of the association, said large quantities of maize and other farm produce were in stock waiting to be bought because of the very low prices offered. "We have lots of the produce packed in Kumasi, Accra and Techiman without any buyers coming forward."

He appealed to the government to make provision for silos to store their produce for future use and also to attract better prices. Mr Adinkrah appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide the association and for that matter the district with mechanical harvesters, farm tools and equipment, corn mills and a machine to facilitate processing of maize.

Nana Augustine Hwemeso, an executive member of the association, expressed the fear that if they did not receive assistance immediately, the youth who had been mobilised to undertake farming on their return from Morocco and other countries might be tempted to go back.