Farmers in Ghana’s Bono East Region are calling on the government to intervene after a sharp fall in maize and bean prices left many struggling to cover production costs.
Members of the Atebubu Amantin Farmers Association say a glut in supply and a lack of buyers have caused prices to collapse, despite what they describe as a successful harvest this season.
The association’s chairman, Mr Bumbass Yussif, said the price of a bag of maize had dropped from more than 1,500 Ghana cedis ($…) to between 150 and 350 cedis.
“Farmers are unable to cover the high cost of fertiliser and labour,” he said, adding that many growers were struggling to find buyers for their produce.
He warned that the situation was particularly severe in parts of the Bono East and Northern regions, where large quantities of maize and beans remain unsold.
The Atebubu queen mother, Nana Abena Owusuaa, who attended a meeting of the association, said the low farm-gate prices contrasted sharply with high and relatively stable food prices in urban centres.
She urged the government to introduce a minimum support price for maize and beans and to direct the National Buffer Stock Company to purchase surplus grain from farmers.
Farmers also raised concerns about inadequate storage facilities, saying produce was at risk of spoiling while they searched for buyers.
The association’s secretary, Mr Robert Glo, warned that the price slump could discourage farmers from planting next season, posing a threat to food security if the situation persists.
Several farmers said they had taken loans to finance their operations and now fear they may be unable to repay them, affecting their livelihoods and their children’s education.
The farmers have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and stabilise the market.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
