(Daily Graphic, Nov 23, 2011, Back Page)
THE
National Association of Shea nut Farmers, Processors and Buyers of Ghana has
cautioned the government of an imminent collapse of the shea industry following
the drastic reduction in the price of a bag of shea nuts.
According to them, the government had,
for the first time through the Ghana Cocoa Board, unilaterally announced that
90 kilograms of shea nut should be sold at GH¢36.
They noted that this price represents a
31 per cent reduction over the existing market price, which is GH¢52 for 85
kilograms.
They therefore intimated that if
government’s involvement in the shea industry would be to worsen the plight of
the players and supervise the crumbling of the industry, then it is better the
government allowed the existing arrangement where market forces determined the
prices to prevail.
At a press conference in Tamale to put
forth their grievances, the actors of the shea nut value chain argued that the fixing
of unfair prices had discouraged many of the farmers and processers,
particularly the women and youth, from continuing with the business.
They cautioned that a collapse of the
share industry would have dire consequences on poverty levels in the country,
because many people in the three northern regions and parts of the Brong Ahafo
and Volta regions depended on the shea industry for a living.
“The shea nut business is the main
source of livelihood for the people of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West
regions. Due to the poor prices, however, the business is in crisis, because
the women are no more prepared to pick the nuts,” the General Secretary of the
association, Mr Emmanuel Abu Alhassan Nyabto stated.
He said the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) had promised during the 2008 election campaign to revamp the sector, only
to come and further impoverish actors in the industry.
Mr Nyabto again raised issues with the
Ghana Cocoa Board for failing to involve them in the process to fix the new
price for shea nut and therefore blamed it for what it described as a wrong
decision.
He alleged that the fixing of the low
price was an attempt to favour the international and local companies that were
buying the nuts because they would now pay less for more.
Meanwhile, a collapse of the shea
industry could impact negatively on the livelihoods of many women, who go
through risks, such as snake bites, to gather the nuts to sell to middle men.
“When the industry collapses, these
women would lose their source of livelihood and this would deepen rural
poverty,” Hajia Abiba Salifu, a shea nut dealer stated.
She said it was through the picking and
selling of shea nuts and its butter that many women in the north were able to
get some income to take care of their families, particularly the children.
“Since the new price was announced many
of our colleagues have become discouraged and frustrated. Just imagine if you
were managing with a little cedis and now you are being paid only some few
pesewas. How can you survive? It just doesn’t pay to remain in this work,”
Hajia Abiba lamented.
No comments:
Post a Comment