MP Raises Alarm On President's Cassava Initiative

Just as government is sourcing for a $30 million loan facility to enable it to initiate the Ayensu cassava starch project in other parts of the country, the Minority Spokesman for Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Wenchi West, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has raised an alarm of a likely downturn in the performance of the President’s Special Initiative (PSI) due to his inability to provide a ready market for the cultivated cassava.

He therefore called on the management of the PSI on cassava and the Ayensu Starch Company Limited to fix a guaranteed price for the improved quality cassava being planted and purchase the produce from farmers to sustain the interest in the project, till the starch equipment becomes operational.

He says the lack of ready market is making life difficult for most farmers engaged in the production of the special cassava, forcing them to sell in the local open market rather than exporting them.

Explaining the need for the guaranteed price, Mr Nketia said the volume of special cassava currently matured for processing is not enough to enable the starch factory to begin processing and the unavailability of planting materials (cassava sticks) are hindering efforts at rapid expansion in production.