Most cashew farmers at Kabile, near Sampa in the Bono Ahafo Region are refusing to sell their produce to the only processing factory in the area due to what they say is delayed payment.

Locals say the decision of the farmers is badly affecting the operation of the factory which provides jobs for the youth.

As a result, more than half of the employees have been laid-off as farmers sell the raw material to foreigners at a reduced price.

“Because of the high cost of the raw materials, the farmers are willing to sell to the ready market. Since last year, we have not been getting raw material to process,” said Mathew Sah Kwadwo, Processing Manager.

This is the ordeal the Kabile Cashew Farmers’ Co-operative and Processing Society goes through in the midst of high cost of living.

Cashew processing at Sampa

Cashew farming is a booming business at Sampa. Though it has brought financial relief to farmers, a major obstacle to sustenance is lack of ready local market.

Agriculture Officer at the District MOFA, Douglas Lebna bemoaned the situation which is unfavorable to the effective operation of the local factory.

“Even though we produce a lot of cashew here, getting the produce to feed the industry is quite a challenge, in the sense that, the processing factory is in competition with foreigners who come here to buy,” he explained.

Farmers have had difficulties processing the cashew nut for value addition.

Jaman District Chief Executive, Daniel Nti Ateware, also expressed concerns about the inability of the farmers to process the cashew nuts as some group of persons buy them raw for exportation.

“Sampa is the leading producer of cashew in the country but the painful aspect is that, our farmers do not get much from the cashew. The fruits are just bought and export raw,” he observed.

Daniel Nti Ateware has appealed to investors to support the famers to process the farm produce.

The challenge of farming and processing Cashew

The difficulty farmers used to go through to market their nuts appears to have ended following the establishment of the Kabile Cashew Farmers’ Co-operative and Processing Society.

Over 80 people have directly been employed to work at the plant.

“We have been able to employ about 83 workers. Formally, they were travelling to the cities to search jobs. But because of the factory, they are now working here to cater for their family,” Mathew Sah explained.

An employee, Hawa Amadu has been working for about five years now. Hawa says her life has been transformed. “This factory has been very helpful to me and my family,” she said.

But the situation has changed now, and majority of the 75 farmers who used to sell their produce to the factory have withdrawn from the community group.

“At the beginning, the farmers were 75 members and they were helping to feed the factory. But because of the high cost of the nuts, only few of them bring their nuts,” lamented Mathew Sah.

Consequently, about 50 workers have been asked to go home, with just about 30 still at post.

Tawiah Cecilia fears she might lose her job soon if the farmers do not revert their decision and feed the factory with the nuts.

“The farmers are no more bringing their produce to us so we are always idle here. Many at times, the cashew nuts get finished here and processing would halt,” she said.

One of the many reasons is delayed payment for produce purchased which means farmers look elsewhere for ready cash from foreigners.

At the factory, the farmers receive 4.35 Ghana cedis per kilogram of nuts for which they have to wait for three months for payment.

Foreigners, on their part, instantly offer between 3.70 Ghana cedis and 4 Ghana cedis.

The decision of the farmers has negatively affected the factory which is operating below capacity.

There are fears the processing factory could be closed down and the rest of employees, unless the farmers rescind their decision to boycott the factory.

MOFA intervention

Cashew nut is the seed of the cashew fruit. It cannot be eaten raw. Separating kernel from the shell is cumbersome. One method is to refrigerate nuts in order to remove the shells.

Officials at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture are on the beat to provide long -term solution to the farmers’ problems.

“We are thinking of soliciting a vast area of land to cultivate the cashew under improved methods so that within the shortest possible time it would begin fruiting to feed the factory,” Douglas Lebna revealed.

For now, the factory needs increased supply of nuts for continued operation.