Sugarcane out-growers in the Central Region are threatening to strike due to what they describe as “unfair treatment” by the Komenda Sugar Factory and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Samuel Mensah, National Chairman of the Sugarcane Farmers Association, explained at a press conference that the association’s members are disappointed because their expectation of the factory buying sugarcane from them, after they expanded their farms, has not been met.
Mensah said, “We are aware that the factory is undergoing some changes, including being leased, but we have not been kept informed about these developments.”
He highlighted that the sugarcane planted in anticipation of the factory’s operations is now overgrown, and farmers are left without buyers.
This frustration comes after Trade and Industry Minister K.T. Hammond announced plans to lease the Komenda Sugar Factory to West African Agro Limited, an Indian firm, for 15 to 20 years.
The out-growers have questioned the factory’s operational status and its raw material sources, and they are seeking clarity on when they will be engaged to sell their sugarcane.
There are over 15,000 acres of sugarcane farms in areas like Kissi, Shama, Wassa East and West, Komenda, Winneba, Cape Coast, Gomoa East, West and Central, Assin South, and Abura Asebu Kwamankese districts, all waiting for the factory to purchase their produce.
Mensah reiterated that in 2022, the out-growers had a contractual agreement with the factory to purchase all the sugarcane they cultivated.
The agreement included terms for harvesting, transportation, and re-planting costs, but the factory has not fulfilled its commitments.
The out-growers are ready to supply the Komenda Sugar Factory but demand that the company honor its agreements to avoid conflict.
