By Nelson Manneh
Cashew owners in the Kombo South District of the West Coast Region have started clearing their farms in anticipation of a good harvest as the cashew season approaches.
This reporter visited some cashew farmers during the weekend and found many of the clearing the grasses under their cashew trees.
Most of them who spoke to this reporter said government should start buying directly from them without the involvement of middlemen.
“Last year, the price of cashew nuts was poor, and this year, we want the government to take the lead in buying our cashew nuts. We are farmers and we survive from the meagre amount we get from our farms,” they told this reporter.
Last year cashew nuts were bought for D60 to D70 per kilo, and according to farmers, this price is very low, compared to the investment they put in. They argue that in other countries like Guinea Bissau, cashew nuts have a better price.
Pierre Mendy, a cashew farmer in Sanyang village, said cashew business last year was slow and the price given for their nuts was not good. He said he sold his cashew nuts at a giveaway price because there was no good offer from middlemen who went round to buy cashew nuts from various farms.
“Last year I sold my cashew at D2, 800 per bag which was not a good price. I sold my cashews lately because I was waiting to see whether the price would be increased but it never did,” he said.
Mendy said cashew farming is a challenging enterprise and therefore, the government and business persons should come together with better solutions regard the low price of their produce.
“We are in the field and we know what is actually happening. Bikers who come around to buy our cashew nuts buy it at a very low price,” he said.
Abdoulie Darboe who has a cashew farm in Tujereng village, also said that he is anticipating a bumper harvest from his farm, and said government should take the lead regarding the price of cashew nuts, if they want to help farmers.
