NDC's Eric Adjei calls on government to help cashew farmers

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Eric Adjei has called on the Akufo-Addo government as a matter of urgency to help cashew farmers in the Region.

Cashew farming is one of the main cash crop system to the people of Brong Ahafo.

Cashew nuts, which fetches the country millions of dollars is less patronized due to the importation of the same products from Coté d'Ivoire.

In a statement signed by NDC's Communicator, Mr Adjei indicated that "For the past seasons, the issue of good price in cashew crop has always been a nightmare and never a reality. Today, the formed cashew board has become a white elephant".

He bemoaned that "It is rather unfortunate and very pathetic the good description of cashew crop by foreigners only happens in the dream of the indigenes of the Region".

He noted that "In recent times, the boarders have become so porous that Cote d'voire over supplies it previously dumped cashew crop to the country at cheaper price and as a result, the companies prefer to buy from them".

He explained that "Currently, the price per kilogram of cashew crop is Ghc 2.5 compared to previous years where the price went as far as Ghc9.80. The situation has been worse in the region to the extent that buyers reject Ghana cashew and go in for those from Cote d'voire".

Mr Adjei therefore, blamed President Akufo-Addo for failing to honour his 2016 campaign of regulating the price of cashew to benefit farmers.

He emphasized "No doubt, the people of Jaman North Constituency demonstrated heavily against the current price for the commodity yesterday. The sad thing is that the current government is aware and have not done anything about the pricing of cashew crop for the people who voted massively for him in 2016".

Eric Adjei has called on the government to help the farmers and prevent the Coté d'Ivoire nationals from bringing their products to kill the local market of the farmers from Brong Ahafo Region.

Below is the full statement

THE CRY OF MY PEOPLE IN B/A

Cashew farming is bleeding. Some people are torturing our cash crop farming system and it's about bleeding to death.

Cashew farming is one of the main cash crop system of the good people of the Brong Ahafo Region and it has been fetching the country millions of dollars as foreign exchange but nowadays some farmers from Coté d'Ivoire have been bringing their products to the area and as a result, buyers have refused to buy the one being produced in the area because of price value.

Over the years, cashew farming has boomed in Brong Ahafo and it's environs. It is fascinating and refreshing to know that cashew in 2013 generated about $170m in the form of foreign exchange earnings into the economy of Ghana. This therefore made the cash crop to rise to fame in Ghana by making it the second-largest contributor to non-traditional export crops in Ghana. In 2016, cashew exports generated a whopping sum of $244.5m revenue in the country.

No doubt, the current president, the then presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party in 2016 rode on the back of this sensitive issue and promised the good people of the Region of forming cashew board to regulate the price of cashew. Because the majority of them are cashew farmers, they overwhelmly voted for him.

If there is any issue that has caused so much stir in the Region, then it is free fall in cashew price in recent times. For the past seasons, the issue of good price in cashew crop has always been a nightmare and never a reality. Today, the formed cashew board has become a white elephant. It is rather unfortunate and very pathetic the good description of cashew crop by foreigners only happens in the dream of the indigenes of the Region.

In recent times, the boarders have become so porous that Cote d'voire over supplies it previously dumped cashew crop to the country at cheaper price and as a result, the companies prefer to buy from them. Currently, the price per kilogram of cashew crop is Ghc 2.5 compared to previous years where the price went as far as Ghc9.80. The situation has been worse in the region to the extent that buyers reject Ghana cashew and go in for those from Cote d'voire.

No doubt, the people of Jaman North Constituency demonstrated heavily against the current price for the commodity yesterday. The sad thing is that the current government is aware and have not done anything about the pricing of cashew crop for the people who voted massively for him in 2016.

Signed!

Eric Adjei

Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional NDC Communications Officer