Madam Susanna Kpabitey Korkor, market queen for the Agormanya market in the Lower Manya Krobo district of the Eastern Region has tasked the district assemblies to enforce a price control on farm commodities to compel both farmers and traders to sell and buy the produce at the controlled prices in order to avert cheating.
Madam Korkor was speaking to Rite news following allegations from several farmers of exploitation by market women in the determination of prices for their farm produce when it sought to find out from market women the truth or otherwise of these claims.
Speaking with Madam Korkor, market queen of the Agomanya market in an interview, she confirmed the difficulty of the market women to meet the prices of the farmers but insisted that this was because she and her colleagues equally had difficulties in getting the right price for their products.
According to her, traders from other parts of the country bargained at cheap prices from the traders, forcing them to sell some of the produce at giveaway prices. She was particular about traders from Accra for instance who insisted on buying maize at very cheap prices from traders at the Agormanya market. She was bitter about the fact that these traders were willing to buy the produce at good prices from other markets but the case was always different with the local markets.
The traders also mentioned that they also incurred additional costs travelling to the villages to buy the products and that they also turned to bargain for prices that would favour them after spending money on transportation.
Madam Korkor and other traders noted that it is the seller who always has the right to determine what prices to sell their produce and not the buyer forcing their own price down the throats of the sellers.
The traders also complained about the poor nature of the roads linking the farming communities and the market centers. “Due to these problems, only few drivers are willing to travel to those villages which lead to the late arrival of the produce from those areas,” madam Korokor lamented. According to her, since these commodities arrive late, it leads to farmers being forced to give away their produce at very low prices in order not to return with their stuff.
On the Farmers Day and the awards given to winners, she called on the district Assemblies to give out more valuable prizes than what has been given in the past. She said farming was a difficult occupation and farmers can’t be content with what has consistently been given them.
She also called for scholarships for brilliant children of farmers since most farmers were struggling to keep their wards in schools due to financial constraints.
Source: ritefmonline.org
