Africa-Press – Ghana. The Bono Cashew Farmers’ Cooperative Union has been inaugurated to begin a new chapter for cashew farmers in the Bono Region.The union serves as the largest umbrella body committed to strengthening the capacity of cashew farmers and improving price regimes, as well as ensuring equitable benefits in the cashew value chain.
Under the implementation of phase two of its “Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers,” the Cashew Watch Ghana (CWA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), inaugurated the cooperative union with support from the STAR Ghana Foundation.
Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the National Coordinator of the CWA, at the inauguration at Nsawkaw in the Tain District of the region, said the establishment of the union was a significant milestone towards unifying the farmers.
He said coming together would reposition the farmers effectively to influence policies, improve market access, and promote sustainable cashew production in the country, saying the formation of the union marked a turning point in the cashew sector’s development.
Mr Ahenu, also the Chief Executive Officer of the Sunyan-based Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), an NGO, indicated that the Union represented a new dawn for the farmers.
He said: “Through collective effort, we can build a resilient, transparent, and sustainable cashew sector that guarantees fair income for farmers and equitable benefits in the value chain.”
Mr Ahenu stated that although cashew farmers remained a backbone to Ghana’s non-traditional export economy, however, they continued to face challenges like price instability, limited access to improved seedlings, weak market linkages, and low levels of value addition.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the CWA and GloMeF towards supporting the union through capacity-building programmes, active advocacy, and strategic partnerships, to strengthen the cashew sector.
“The union seeks to promote climate-smart and environmentally friendly farming practices, build capacity of farmers by equipping them with modern knowledge and skills for improved productivity as well as enhancing their ability to negotiate fair prices and favorable trade terms,” he stated.
Mr Ahenu said it was also the objective of the union to lobby and drive investment into the cash sector, improve local processing, make the sector more attractive, and create more job opportunities for the youth.
“We also seek to collaborate with the government and relevant agencies to ensure a fair and inclusive cashew industry”, he stated.
Mr Dwoden Nyantakyi, the Value Chain Officer, Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), lauded the formation of the union, and reaffirmed the Authority’s support to collaborate with the union to improve the cashew sector.
He emphasised that the formation of the union aligned with the vision of the TCDA to create a well-organised and competitive tree crop sector.
“When farmers are organised it becomes easier to channel support, enhance quality standards in ensuring that the benefits of the cashew industry are felt equitably across all levels”, he stated.
Mr Nyantakyi advised the union to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and innovation in all its activities, to help strengthen the resilience of the cashew value chain and improve the socio-economic livelihoods of the farmers.
“This Union is not just about farming’ it’s about economic justice,” he stated, and encouraged the farmers to unite, amplify their voices and protect their interests, creating a sustainable future for the next generation.
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