Mango farmers unhappy with treatment by Exim Bank

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Over 200 mango farmers spread across all ten regions of Ghana are calling on the government to, as a matter of urgency, conduct forensic investigations into the conduct of Exim Bank for failing to reimburse mango farmers who were made to go into large-scale plantation of the crop under an agreement facilitated by EDAIF.

The farmers consider the conduct of Exim Bank as “a classic example of paying mere lip service to national development and economic growth and particularly to agricultural development as exemplified and typified by Exim Bank in their shambolic handling of mango farmers across the country.”

Some of the affected farmers in the Brong Ahafo region who spoke to our correspondent on conditions of anonymity said the Exim Bank has demonstrated “shameless disregard, insensitivity and callousness” to these farmers for no apparent reason.

In 2014 – 2015 through an EDAIF facilitated arrangement, hundreds of interested farmers applied and signed on to the establishment of thousands of acres of mango farms across the country.

Exim Bank became the financiers of the project under agreed terms and conditions acceptable to all parties concerned.

The Exim Bank were to reimburse the farmers periodically of specified and agreed self-financed expenses and expenditure on their farms through laid down processes and procedure.

It was this incentive that motivated the farmers to sign on to the programme.

Unfortunately, for the past two years, the Exim Bank has withheld its obligation to majority of the farmers without any engagement, or communication or prior notification or explanation.

It is alleged that Exim Bank have shut themselves out of the reach of these farmers to perish with their farms.

“As a result, most of these farmers are hugely indebted to friends, well-wishers, sympathizers’ family members and banks”, one farmer cried out.

“They are left with no means to fend for themselves they can no longer pay the cost of labour and maintenance of their farms. They cannot secure the farms against bush fires.”

Another farmer said all their sufferings and sacrifices and efforts and money spent for the past four years face the danger of going waste.

“To make matters more complicated the Exim Bank without stated and transparent criteria or reasons have handpicked some farmers for partial payment while abandoning the majority of farmers”, he complained.

“This also raises issues of discrimination, favoritism, mischief and corruption.”

These voiceless farmers call on the Government, Parliament, the Media, and the General public, and indeed, all patriotic Ghanaians to come to their recue by putting pressure on Exim Bank to immediately and fully reimburse the affected farmers to save them and their investment.

The farmers want government to investigate the conduct of the bank in this matter. ([email protected])