The MCE, Techiman, Hon. Benjamin Yaw Gyarko has directed all the purchasing companies of cashew in the Municipality to use the minimum farm gate price of Gh 8.50p per a kilo of cashew to buy from farmers.

BACKGROUND TO THE CALL

On Thursday 05, January 2023, Nana Kwain Daniel who is the Patron of Cashew Farmers’ Association,Techiman and the National Best Cashew Farmer 2015 led his team of Executives of the Association to lodge a complaint to the Assembly that, the purchasing companies of cashew in the Municipality are disregarding the approved rate per a kilo of cashew as announced by Government and are using their own discretion in buying from farmers.
They alleged that, some were buying it at Gh5.00 per a kilo while others were buying it at Gh6.50p.

Invitations were therefore sent to the leadership of these Cashew Traders and Buyers Associations in the Municipality for a meeting on Friday 06 January 2023 to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the complaint.

In the meeting was the Chairman of Cashew Traders and Exporters Association, Techiman North and South and a member of Cashew Council Ghana, Mr. Abdul Mumuni Issah also MD AL-B and C Ventures.

During the engagement, the buyers admitted of buying the cashew below the government announced price per a kilo of cashew citing the depreciation of the dollar, high cost of transportation, low quality of the cashew beans among others as the reason.

The MCE informed them that, such conduct was illegal and must not be entertained. He said until the review of the price is done by the Tree Development Authority which is responsible for regulating the price of cashew, no individual or group of people have the right to buy a kilo of cashew below the approved price.

The MCE added that, during the official announcement of the cashew price, the Chief Executive of Tree Crop Development Authority Mr. William Agyepong Quitoo said the price shall be reviewed after two(2) months of its implementation and until such is done, the approved price must be respected.

He said in the coming days, the Assembly will deploy a task force to the various stations to ensure compliance.

The Municipal BNI Officer also informed the buyers that, he has received complaints that, some of the purchasing clerks have tempered their measuring scales to the disadvantage of the farmers.
He cautioned those engaging in it to adjust their scale to standards as very soon he will collaborate with Ghana Standards Authority to do a test on their measuring scales.

Present in the meeting were the Municipal Coordinating Director, Alhaj Hamza and the Municipal BNI Officer.