The Jaman North District Assembly has formed taskforces within cashew farming communities to ensure that buyers pay the government-approved price of GH¢ 8.50p per kilogramme to cashew farmers.
The task force includes personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, the Information Services Department, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Ghana Police Service.
Solomon Owusu, the Jaman North District Chief Executive, said the move is aimed at stopping unscrupulous buyers from cheating farmers. He warned that cheating buyers would be prosecuted.
Owusu also explained that most of the cashew farmers in the area are suffering from non-payment of the approved prices because some buyers took advantage of their vulnerabilities, and he urged farmers not to accept prices lower than the approved kilogramme prices.
He cited the deplorable nature of the roads in the district as a major challenge affecting the cashew business, explaining that drivers who were supposed to convey the commodity in their trucks from the farm gates and aggregation points to the depots and buying centres sometimes refused to render such services, particularly in the rainy season.
To address the challenge of transportation, the district assembly has started reshaping and rehabilitating some of the deplorable roads. Owusu said the move is aimed at saving farmers from running at a loss, and he called for support from all stakeholders.
