The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has supported 16 Co-operative Cashew Farming and Marketing Societies in the West Gonja Municipal with essential farm inputs to improve farm management and crop protection.
The items, distributed in Damongo, include power sprayers, Wellington boots, raincoats and farm chemicals. The beneficiary societies are drawn from communities including Achubunyor, Bidima, Busunu, Langatere, Murugu, Larabanga, Nabori, Yipala, Nyanfigi, Canteen, Soalepe, Gruma Kura, Bonyanto, Mempeasem, Tailorpe and Jonokponto.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Iddrisu Sumani, President of the West Gonja District Co-operative Cashew Farmers and Marketing Union Ltd. and TCDA Ambassador for the Savannah Region, thanked the TCDA for the intervention.
He, however, called for sustained investment in farm inputs, improved spraying equipment, extension services, farmer training, improved planting materials, access to finance, beekeeping, and cashew value addition and processing.
Mr. Sumani said developing cashew processing, including cashew apple and kernel processing, could help reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs and enable farming communities to retain more value from their produce.
He also urged farmers to explore beekeeping alongside cashew production, noting that the two activities could provide additional income opportunities while supporting pollination.
A major part of the Union’s message was a call on all unregistered cashew farmers in the municipality to join their respective Co-operative Cashew Farming and Marketing Societies and complete the appropriate membership registration and verification processes.
Mr. Sumani urged farmers not to wait until farm inputs or other interventions are announced before registering.
He explained that proper farmer records can strengthen farmer organisation, traceability, representation and coordination of future support from the TCDA, government agencies, development partners and private-sector organisations.
He encouraged already registered farmers to also verify their records and ensure that their names, contact details and farm information are accurate.
The Union has further called on the leadership of the 16 beneficiary societies to intensify mobilisation to ensure that genuine cashew farmers are captured in the organised farmer structure.
Mr. Sumani acknowledged the Ghana Co-operative Cashew Farmers and Marketing Association Ltd., as well as Bunyanso Farms Limited, NORGIID Ghana, Bunyanso Organic Farmer Productivity Network Ghana (BOFPN), HJA Africa Limited and the Cashew Council of Ghana (CCG) for their contributions to the development of the sector.
He called for continued collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen the entire cashew value chain, from farmer registration and production to aggregation, marketing, processing and value addition.
The leadership of the beneficiary societies has pledged to ensure that the inputs are used responsibly and for their intended purposes.
The Union believes that continued investment in organised cashew farmers, coupled with improved processing, value addition and complementary activities such as beekeeping, can contribute to increased productivity, diversified incomes, employment creation and improved livelihoods in West Gonja.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
