Some Commercial Rice Farmers in the Fumbisi Rice Valley in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region have expressed shock at how members of the governing New Patriotic Party are intimidating them at the rice valley.
The farmers say they are now living in fear because anytime they make public pronouncements about their predicaments regarding their farms, some ‘powers from above’ usually come to seize some of their properties; particularly their lands with claims that they are making the government unpopular.
The situation, the farmers say, manifested some weeks ago as some of their members’ lands were seized, and up to now, they have been unable to collect them back. Even more worrying for the farmers is that they are petrified talking about their plight.
Speaking to the Secretary of the Builsa South Commercial Farmers Association, Daniel Atuilik on A1 Radio, he confirmed the rumours; adding that he was putting in measures to address same.
He was quick to add that “yes, I also heard rumours of such nature but I want to let whoever is doing that note that, we are farmers and not politicians. They should stop intimidating our members. If things are not right for us, we will talk. We all want Ghana to grow from its current state. So, if things are not right, we will talk.”
Mr Atuilik also asked members of the association not to back down from speaking to the public about their predicaments as their duty is to feed the country as a whole and not to listen to politicians.
He said, “We are farmers because we want to feed the nation and if things are not right for our crops, do not keep quiet, speak. Let us not fall for politicians as they will help our plight. Without farmers, I do not think there will be politicians because we farm to feed them. So, let us stand for our right.”
The secretary, however, noted that one of the reasons they are not making a lot of calls for markets and storage spaces for their produce this year was because they experienced post-harvest losses.
“This year, actually we recorded low yields and the facts to that are many. So, we are just in it and hoping for the best. God is in control”, he added.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana
