Local cashew nut processors are calling on the government to resource them so as to help them process more cashew locally.
On Thursday, members of parliament criticized the Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, for giving a directive that the export of cashew nuts should be banned between March and April.
Dr. Spio Garbrah said on Friday that his ministry gave that directive because the local cashew processing industry was collapsing due to the exportation of the product.
A cashew processor who is based in Kintampo, Kwame Kumah, told Citi News that the processors have enough cashew nuts to buy.
“We are not saying that because of the competition we do not get cashew to buy. I buy a lot of cashew. Right now I have almost 500 metric tonnes for these foreign buyers you are talking about,” he said.
Kuma also said that “when the directive came, Ghana Cashew Industries projected that it was not the antidote to the problem. The antidote is that the local processors should be resourced.”
“We suggested that there should be a buffer stock so that local processors who have limited resources, will be able to buy on monthly basis. We are currently negotiating with the Ghana Buffer Stock.”
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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana