The President of the Vea Farmers Association, Anyorimatiah Seidu, says pepper farmers in the area are incurring heavy losses as harvested produce continues to lose value amid a lack of buyers.
At the start of the harvest season, the price of a bag of pepper rose sharply from GH¢300 to GH¢900, Mr. Seidu said. However, the farmers’ excitement was short-lived as prices dropped back to GH¢300 per bag.
Speaking to A1 Radio’s Seidu Mutawakil on the Day Break Upper East show, Mr. Seidu said the price drop is not the farmers’ biggest challenge. Despite the lower prices, he said they are struggling to find buyers.
“We are not getting marketers. The produce is sleeping on the farm and you cannot take it. If there are no buyers, you cannot take the produce and store it anywhere,” he said.
Mr. Seidu suggested that some buyers may be deliberately delaying purchases, aware that farmers lack adequate storage facilities and will eventually be forced to sell at reduced prices as the peppers rot.
“We cannot see why they are not buying,” he said.
“It is a group of buyers that has decided to sabotage us. When they do not buy and the market falls, then they have the advantage to come back and buy at a low price,” he added.
Mr. Seidu dismissed reports that middlemen and traders have found alternative sources of high-quality, affordable pepper elsewhere. He maintained that produce from the Vea Irrigation Project is of top quality and competitively priced.
He appealed for direct government intervention, warning that if the situation persists, it could discourage farmers from cultivating pepper in the next irrigation season.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
