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Cashew farmers threaten to halt selling cashew beans to merchants
Cashew farmers in the cashew growing areas in the two Bono regions are threatening to stop sell cashew beans to merchants in this season due to current minimum price announced by the Chief Executive Officer of Tree Crops Development Authority, Hon.William Agyepong Quaitoo.
The CEO has announced a price of Gh7.00 per kilogram in Kintampo North Municipality on December 15. 2023.
Concerned Aggrieved Cashew Farmers Association have disclosed that the current price declared by the Tree Crops Authority is not favorable to farmers but rather bring, rather they considered it as an attempt to bring hardship to the farmers based on the current economic challenges.
They said the beans were sold at Gh 8.50 per kilogram last year in which they were anticipating price increase this season.
Some of the farmers suspected fishy deal between the tree crops authorities and the merchants.
They accused the merchants of conniving with the Authority to impose such prices on farmers for their own interest.
“We don’t think farmers were called to partake in the price margin for this cashew season.
“At least the Authority should consider the current economic indicators and rising inflation rates to have agreed on a better price for us” they underscored.
“We are therefore calling on the Tree Crops Authority’s CEO to rescind his decision immediately if he doesn’t want us to doubt his connivance with the merchants for any alleged deals.
They also appealed to him to be the CEO of the Authority to allow the bag of the beans weigh at 64 per kilogram per CD bag as he has instructed farmers to dry up the beans before being sold
” We will not sell the bag of the cashew beans 100 kilogram per bag again”.
These statements came as a result of the pronouncement made by the CEO of Tree Crops Authority Hon.William Agyepong Quaitoo on Friday at Kintampo to open the cashew season.
“We will halt selling of the beans to merchants if the price remains the same”
Signed
Convenor
Kwame Baffoe.
