Tomatoes farmers within the Anloga District and other adjourning communities during an emergency meeting held Saturday afternoon at Anloga District Assembly Hall have passed a resolution on matters to help improve their sales during the ongoing harvesting season.
During the meeting, they decided that there would be no middlemen who would be responsible for negotiating prices for their harvested produce anymore.
This decision was made to control the activities of truck-loading boys who engage in the negotiating process between the farmer and the buyers, a situation the farmer says is affecting their sales because they no longer engage the buyer directly.
They have also passed a resolution to only harvest their tomatoes, on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, they believe this will help reduce post-harvest losses where there is always abundant product in the market without available customers as well as help their buyers to have a consistent and periodic market system.
Mr. Nelson Deynoo, Chairman of the Southern Sector Vegetable Farmers Association, said the decisions are to protect farmers from activities that affect their sales,
“All these resolutions are to help the farmers reduce all their losses, we invest a lot into our farms but some of these petty things make us lose a lot of money,”
At the end of the meeting, a task force was formed with the responsibility of monitoring all harvesting, buying and loading activities, the force was also tasked to engage the buyers and their loading trucks at the various barriers on price and other conditions before they are allowed into the communities.
The executives admonished the farmers to adhere to the fixed prices of tomatoes for each period and warned them not to allow truck-loading boys to determine prices for them anymore but rather engage buyers directly.
Mr. Daniel Amenuku, Chairman of Agbogbloshie Vegetable Farmers and Sellers Association, who was present at the meeting also called on buyers to over the decisions taken by the farmers in the Southern Sector towards a mutual business environment.
Some farmers present also expressed satisfaction with the resolutions and said “These decisions will us have a good season where we won’t incur much losses anymore”
Mr Felix Gbekor, Secretary, of Southern Sector Vegetable Farmers, told Verita News that, they will collaborate strongly with the District Assembly and Police service to make sure there is sanity in the system during the season.
Seth Yormewu, Anloga District Chief Executive, who was also present promised his support for the farmers in his capacity
Source: Benard Rhussia
