The poor condition of the roads connecting the town of Mmofra with the closest market center is wasting the farmers’ investments in this cocoa-growing village in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region.
According to Mr. Joseph Owusu, a prominent figure and cocoa farmer, the circumstances had made it impossible for farmers to get their cocoa and other farm products to Mumuni Camp, the closest market center.
Because of the poor condition of the road, he claimed, “the cocoa buying businesses have ceased coming to the neighborhood to acquire our cocoa.”
“Though the community is one of the highest producers of cocoa in the region, produce buyers hardly purchase our cocoa because they cannot come here.”
Mr Owusu said traders, especially foodstuff dealers, who managed to go to the town with hired cargo trucks took advantage of the farmers inability to convey their produce to the market and offerred prices below the realistic market value.
He said they had no choice but to agree to those prices to prevent their produce from getting rotten and incurring huge financial losses.
Mr Owusu said the situation had adversely affected their socio-economic lives, with parents and guardians finding it difficult to finance their children and wards education.
Elizabeth Acheamotah, a cocoa famer, said the road was so bad that only tractors, motorbikes and tricycles could ply it,” adding: “The road has been in that state for more than eleven years.”
She said the fares charged by the tricycle, popularly called ‘Aboboyaa’ were based on the number of hours spent on the road, which also affected their health due to its bumpy nature.
“It takes about three to four hours to cover the distance, though it should have been shorter time than that if the road were in good shape,” she added.
Some residents who spoke to the GNA pleaded with the government through the District Assembly and the Regional Coordinating Council to facilitate rehabilitation of the roads to save them from their predicament.