The Sunbawiera Sheanuts Producers Association at Kperisi in the Wa Municipality has begun a crusade in the community to end the age-old practice of bush burning which has been hampering the development of the sheanut industry.

The Association, which is being supported by the BUSAC Fund to carry out its programmes, has come to the realization that, the producers could not benefit from any interventions in the industry or meet the demand of buyers in the export market if the trees continued to be destroyed by bush fires.

The Association will liaise with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Wa Municipal Assembly, traditional rulers and elders to enforce anti-bush fire laws in the community to protect the shea trees and other agricultural activities.

At an advocacy training session for 25 members of the association at Wa, Mr. Gabriel Fiati a Resource person at the workshop said there was a strong market for sheanuts outside the country and it could compete with cocoa and contribute immensely to the country’s gross domestic product.

He said the first major obstacle to the growth and development of the sheanut industry is the practice of bush burning, which the association has set out to eradicate in its area of operations for other communities to emulate.

BUSAC fund offers a platform for the private sector to relate issues to the public sector for redress by engaging the public sector in dialogue to create a win-win situation.

It is assisting the Sunbawiera Association with GH¢30,000 to carry out its campaign.**