The Member of Parliament for Jaman North, who is also the spokesperson of the Cashew Farmers Association, Frederick Yaw Ahenkwah, has appealed to the government to increase prices of cashew.
According to the MPs, cashew farmers are running at a loss after the decline from the initial GHS10 to GHS7 this year.
“The Tree Crop Development Authority in 2022 set a price for cashews, and they began with GHS10. The following year, they increased it, and now, this is the third year. In the first two years, the farmers saw an appreciable increase in the price. So, we thought that as the years advanced, the government would continue to set a good price for the farmers. But, to our surprise, the price, which was GHS8.50 last year, has been reduced to GHS7 this particular year, and we know that there is inflation in the system”, he stated.
He further cited an increase in fuel prices and fertilisers as a major factor in incurring costs for cashew farmers in the Bono and Bono East Regions.
“Prices of farm inputs are high; fuel and other things are skyrocketing. So, these factors go into production. They are all factors of production. By the end of the day, if these farmers bear these high prices and are then unable to pay for the costs they have incurred, I think they are running at a loss….So, we are appealing to the government to, as a matter of urgency, try and review the price. At least GHS9 or GHS10 would make them happy with it,” he added.
