MOFA secures higher prices for cashew farmers

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is organising groups to enter into selling ands buying arrangement with cashew processors with the aim of securing higher prices for cashew farmers.

The Ministry is also undertaking radio extension programmes to train farmers on improved production and post harvest handling technologies as means of ensuring that farmers improve on their yields and quality of raw cashew nut for optimum price.

Mr. Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture who announced the measures in Parliament, in answer for a question asked in the name of Alex Kyeremeh on measures the Ministry was putting in place to help cashew farmers market their produce to reap maximum benefits.

Mr Debrah said the Ministry through the Cashew Development Project also circulates Cashew Buyers Directory to all District Agricultural Officers and Cashew Producer Associations in cashew growing areas to inform farmers about buyers in their locality.

Also, District Agricultural Offices in low producing areas such as Nkwanta, Afram Plains, Bole, Nadowli and Jirapa are being encouraged to use their offices as the buying and collection points, to ensure that enough volumes of raw cashew nuts are gathered for buyers to lift.

Mr Debrah also announced that the Ministry is also collaborating with the Department of Cooperatives to organize cashew farmers into District Cashew Producers Associations which would eventually come together to form a National Cashew Producer Association, expected to be in place before the end of 2009.