Pepper price disagreements: Navro-Pio urges close farmer-buyer collaboration to sustain business

The Overlord of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Asagpaare Aneakwoa Balinia Adda II has called on leadership of the pepper farmers and buyers associations to amicably settle their disagreements over fluctuating prices.

This, the revered Chief said, will help sustain the business in the area for mutual benefit.

The urgent call by the Navro-Pio comes after the two groups called on him on Monday 16th December, 2024, to intervene in the matter that has left both associations disgruntled.

Farmers concerns

In a speech, Zakari Issaka, leading member of the pepper farmers association said the buyers were intentionally creating price decreases and arrogating to themselves the power to frustrate retailers who attempt to buy directly from the farmers without going through them [the buyers].

He noted that these, among other actions of the buyers which have been going on for long, were negatively affecting the farmers leading to huge financial losses, while the buyers made supernormal profits off the sweat of farmers.

Issaka on behalf of the farmers, therefore, pleaded for the intervention of the Navro- Pio stressing that pepper cultivation has become costly due to the high prices of farm inputs.

Buyers response

For their part, the buyers also accused the farmers of not involving them in decision making processes and implementation. They indicated that the farmers increased prices of the commodity at their own whims without seeking their inputs and consideration of the effect of that on them.

They argued that they also incur losses in their line of trading as sometimes pepper purchased from the farm gates in Navrongo arrived to price decreases at retail centers. They said that notwithstanding, farmers always got paid the agreed prices.

The buyers also complained that some of the farmers have taken their place in the business chain and engaged in the direct retail of their farm produce. This, the buyers strongly condemned and said the buying chain was their turf.

Navro-Pio response

In his response, the Pe Asagpaare urged the two parties to work closely in resolving the issues for the benefit of all. He cautioned that failure to do so may cause the business to slip through the hands of the people to neighboring areas.

“That is what we did, and people now travel all the way from the south to Burkina Faso to purchase tomatoes in bulk when we equally produce quality tomatoes. Do not allow the pepper business to die like the tomatoes did” the chief cautioned.

Mike 105.3 FM |Navrongo | David Adapuna