The 2020 flagbearer of Ghanaians biggest opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has promised to establish a processing plant for cashew farmers in the former Bong Ahafo region.

The processing plant is to facilitate farmers’ efforts by adding value to the cashew crop, which is currently exported raw to overseas, while, the farmers don’t derive the total benefit from their produce.

He said the plant would be sited in the region because it hosts most of the cashew farmers.

“We need processing capacity here so that we can process for the international market. So that the farmer will also get good prices for their produce” he said.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, he said the cashew processing plant was penned in the NDC 2020 manifesto and since he could not win power from the people, the vision still remains on the drawing board.

However, he is convinced that putting in place a cashew industry and a processing capacity, especially in Bono and Bono East regions would be a break through for the cashew farmers.

“This is because these are the regions that have most cashew farmers but there are no incentives or motivation for the cashew farmers to even harvest the crop.  They are not maintaining the farms,” he added.

By Akutu Dede