Farmers in Munyenge area in Fako Division have vowed to stock their cocoa produce in their houses until when the price of the crop goes up again. This was the resolution taken during a community meeting between the chiefs, councillors and the farmers in Munyenge area on October 27. The farmers, in putting forth their points, recalled that for years, they have suffered exploitation from the Local Buyers Association, LBA, who manipulate them by providing cocoa chemicals at an exorbitant rate and only for them to reduce the price of the produce at the peak of the cocoa season.

They mentioned that by doing this they always go home penniless because all what they were supposed to take home would have been slashed from chemical owed. They say they therefore see it as working for the buyers.

The close to 3 000 farmers who attended the meeting, also faulted the National Cocoa and Coffee Board for not providing a daily price for them to know the strength of the World, Douala port and local markets. According to them, for not providing them with current information on the price as they usually do, the LBA must have conspired with them by contributing money and bribing them so that the farmers will remain in the dark as concerning the price strength.

What provoked the meeting was the rapid drop in the price of a kilogram of cocoa from FCFA 1050 to FCFA 750. They intimated that a sachet of Ridomil Chemical costs FCFA 1000 and a litre of Garmaline costs FCFA 6 500. “What will they take home after all expenditures,” they asked rhetorically. A stern warning was also issued to farmers to continue to hoard their cocoa until they are told to release it. By press time The Sun learnt about 500 tons of cocoa have already been stocked in homes.

By William Ndiba Itoe