Gushegu (N/R), Oct. 1, GNA – Shea nut pickers and buyers in the Northern Region are worried at the reduction in the volume of shea nuts available for them to pick saying it is as a result of indiscriminate bush burning.
They said even though the price of a bag of shea nut has gone up to over GHC 100, they were not benefiting from the boom because they do not get enough nuts to pick- a situation, which poses a threat to the livelihoods of thousands.
Madam Memunatu Yakubu, President of Yumyataba Shea Nut Processors Association, who spoke during a forum at Gushegu to educate residents against bush burning, said the average number of bags picked per woman has declined from 15 bags to about five bags in a year.
Yumyataba Shea Nut Processors Association organized the forum with support from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund) as part of a series of community engagements to stop bush burning, to preserve shea trees and to support the livelihood of the people.
Madam Yakubu said “prices have increased, which is good for us, unfortunately, we cannot get enough seeds to pick. Now the highest one can pick is five bags and this is affecting our members”.
She attributed the situation to bush fires which are experienced in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions especially during the harmattan period.
Mr Paul Tia, Coordinator of Yumyataba Shea Nut Processors Association, said “every year, people set fire to the bush during the harmattan and this is the period in which the tree flowers and fruits, obviously yields will be affected and some trees never recover from such burns and die eventually.”
Mr Tia expressed the hope that the practice of bush burning would be halted and “yields will increase, trees will be preserved and young trees will grow to replace old trees”.
He expressed gratitude to BUSAC Fund for supporting the initiative and thanked traditional authorities as well as the Gushegu Municipal Assembly for their support in the advocacy against bush burning in the area.
GNA
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