Cashew farmers at Nkoranza hold forum

Nkoranza (B/A), Sept. 21, GNA- Mr Iddris Wiredu, Executive Director of Network Advocacy of Development Alternatives (NADA), a Sunyani based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has suggested to the government to help market cashew to boost the industry.

He said the government should consider the plight of cashew farmers and establish a Produce Buying Company(PBC) to deal with the marketing of their produce to boost its production.

Mr. Wiredu was addressing about 120 cashew farmers from Nkoranza at a day's sensitisation forum held at the Nkoranza District Assembly to discuss the challenges they face in their work.

He said because individual businessmen deal with the marketing of cashew nuts, there was no stable price for the produce since they determine the price for the farmers.

He said cocoa, coffee and shea nut farmers enjoy some credit facilities and support from the government in the form of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and insecticides and even technical advice from extension officers of the Ministry of Agriculture. "It is unfortunate that cashew farmers are denied such incentives and technical assistance", he said.

Mr. Wiredu said since cashew was now grown nationwide, the government should adopt it and take up the responsibility of buying the produce to assure the farmers of a stable price every crop season to enable more people to venture into the business and enhance their lots.

The Executive Director emphasised that if cashew farmers were treated in the same way as cocoa farmers, they would also be proud of enjoying some scholarship scheme for their children as they would have quality education and become responsible leaders in future.

Mr. Mustapha Yeboah, Executive Director of Coalition of Posterity Interest Organisation (COPIO), a Non-Governmental Organisation at Techiman commended the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) fund for offering the necessary support towards the promotion of the private sector businesses in the country.

He explained that BUSAC was concerned with promoting the welfare of individuals who were in the private sector since they lacked support from the government, adding that, a number of private businessmen and women have being able to improve upon their activities with the support of BUSAC.

The BUSAC fund is jointly supported by three development partners namely Danish International Development Agency(DANIDA), Department for International Development(DFID) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID) with the objective of enhancing private sector development to support national development.

He stressed the need for members of the Nkoranza Cashew Farmers Association to remain united to enable them to coordinate their work and break barriers that hamper their activities.

Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Adu, District Secretary of the farmers disclosed that they have started compiling the names of all cashew farmers in the district in order to initiate plans and programmes to enhance their operations and to compete with other cashew farmers in the district. Mr. Adu urged all cashew farmers to register at Nkoranza to guarantee their membership of the association and to benefit from any incentive package that may from the association.

Mr. Williams Y. Donkor, a retired educationist and also a cashew farmer at Nkoranza, who presided the forum, reminded the farmers of the impending harmattan season and advised them to prepare fire belts around their farms to prevent them from being destroyed by bushfires.