Cashew farmers in the Bono Region , are concerned about the plummeting prices of cashew due to the influx of cheap cashew from neighboring Cote D’Ivoire. Despite the government’s announcement of a minimum farm gate price of ¢8.50 per kilo for the 2023 season, farmers are struggling to sell their cashew at even half of that price.
The situation was taking a toll on the farmers, who had invested their time, resources, and labor into cultivating cashew trees. Many farmers were unable to pay off the loans they had taken to fund their cashew farming, and labor costs were also becoming prohibitively expensive. As a result, the younger generation are losing motivation to join the cashew farming industry, and landowners are becoming reluctant to lease their land for cashew farming due to the uncertainty and risks associated with the fluctuating prices.
Sully Mohammed, a cashew farmer at Tanokrom near Seikwa, explained that the cashew season in Ghana started earlier than in Cote D’Ivoire, and initially, cashew was being sold at ¢12 per kilo. However, the prices had dropped significantly to about ¢3 per kilo, and buyers were only offering ¢5 per kilo, well below the government’s minimum farm gate price. The farmers believed that stricter border security measures were needed to curb the influx of cheap cashew from Cote D’Ivoire, which was undermining the local market and depressing prices in Ghana.
Despite the challenges, the farmers remained hopeful that the government would take pragmatic steps to stabilize cashew prices and protect their investments. They had welcomed the formation of the Tree Crop Development Authority, which was tasked with regulating cashew prices, and were committed to producing more cashew by dedicating more land and resources to cashew farming. However, urgent action was needed to enforce the minimum farm gate price and prevent further loss of income for cashew farmers in the Bono Region.
cashew farmers in Ghana are grappling with the impact of low prices caused by cheap cashew imports from Cote D’Ivoire. They called on the government to enforce the minimum farm gate price and tighten border security to protect their investments and stabilize the cashew market. The farmer’s hoped for a resolution to the situation so that they could continue to sustain their livelihoods and contribute to Ghana’s cashew industry.
BY:AGRIWATCH REPORTER
