Ghana’s cashew sector faces eminent collapse in the near future if steps are not taken to guarantee the farmers a good price for their produce.
Unlike cocoa, cashew nuts do not have a stable price as the price per kilo of cashew nut keeps on fluctuating.
As of now (May 2020), a kilo of cashew nuts sells around Gh¢4.00, while the farmers spent over Gh¢6.50 to produce one (1) kilo of cashew nuts, a situation which is discouraging many people from going into cashew farming.
Speaking to Oyerepa News’ Emmanuel Oduro, the Chairman of Jaman North District Cashew Farmers Association, Mr. Edmund Agyemang said they are incurring losses in their operations due to unstable prices for their produce.
Mr. Edmund Agyemang made this known when members of Ghana Agricultural and Rural Development Journalist Association (GARDJA) undertook a field trip to Kabile, a cashew farming community near Sampa in the Jaman North District of Bono region.
Mr. Edmund Agyemang disclosed that a lot of young people who, hitherto, were into cashew farming are now leaving the industry due to low or poor returns.
He, therefore, entreated the government to, as a matter of urgency, inaugurate the Tree Crop Authority to come and regulate the price of cashew nuts as it is done for cocoa in the country.
Mr. Edmund Agyemang however, admonished the youth to go into cashew farming since the cashew industry has a bright future.
He commended the Akufo Addo led NPP government for supplying cashew farmers with free seedlings, fertilizers, weedicides, and pesticides.
