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13th September, 2011
Farmers In Sefwi Complain About Shortage Of Fertilizer
Cocoa farmers in Bibiani and Sefwi – Wiawso areas of the Western Region, especially those who transact business with the Akuafo Adamfo Marketing Company Ltd, one of the Licensed Buying Companies (LBC) operating the area, have expressed reservations about their inability to get fertilizers for use on their farms to increase production.
Times investigations in the two areas have revealed that fertilizers which should have been obtained at the approved price of GH¢29 were being sold at GH¢32 in the areas by some middlemen.
The farmers alleged that fertilizers they had paid for and were expecting as far back as the end of April, this year, had still not been received.
Consequently, they said they were compelled to buy at the cut- throat price and could not buy much for their farms due to financial constraints.
According to them, even though they appreciated the government’s role in ensuring that the fertilizers reached them at reasonable prices, some unscrupulous elements within the society were engaged nefarious activities that were detrimental to the cocoa industry.
They appealed to the government to entrust the mass cocoa spraying exercise into the hands of special companies for effective monitoring and also to avoid partisan politics associated with the exercise.
Times investigations in the two areas have revealed that fertilizers which should have been obtained at the approved price of GH¢29 were being sold at GH¢32 in the areas by some middlemen.
The farmers alleged that fertilizers they had paid for and were expecting as far back as the end of April, this year, had still not been received.
Consequently, they said they were compelled to buy at the cut- throat price and could not buy much for their farms due to financial constraints.
According to them, even though they appreciated the government’s role in ensuring that the fertilizers reached them at reasonable prices, some unscrupulous elements within the society were engaged nefarious activities that were detrimental to the cocoa industry.
They appealed to the government to entrust the mass cocoa spraying exercise into the hands of special companies for effective monitoring and also to avoid partisan politics associated with the exercise.
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