2000 Rubber Farmers Protest Export Ban Calls in Takoradi

About 2,000 rubber farmers and aggregators from the Western region have staged a peaceful demonstration in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to protest calls for a total ban on raw rubber exports, describing claims against the trade as misleading and self-serving.

The demonstrators, drawn from rubber-growing communities across the Western Region, marched through some principal streets of Sekondi-Takoradi before presenting a petition to the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, at the Regional Coordinating Council.

Most of the protesters were clad in red and black, carrying placards with inscriptions such as Farmers Say No to Monopoly, Rubber Is for All Ghanaians, No Instant Payment, No Ban, Processors Are Greedy, and Everyone Must Eat.

In the petition issued by the Rubber Farmers of Ghana (RUFAG) and allied actors in the natural rubber industry, the group rejected claims that raw rubber exports are unchecked and undermining Ghana’s industrialisation drive.

According to the farmers, exports of raw rubber operate under an existing government-approved regulatory framework supervised by the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA).

RUFAG accused some processing companies and their allies of pushing for an export ban not to promote industrialisation, but to eliminate competition and force farmers to sell rubber cup lumps at low prices.

The farmers also questioned claims that Ghana loses up to US$100 million annually due to raw rubber exports.

RUFAG further argued that Ghana currently lacks advanced rubber processing factories, noting that most local processors only convert rubber cup lumps into Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), which remains a primary commodity for export.

The group dismissed assertions that raw rubber exports violate Act 1010 or L.I. 2471, insisting that the laws do not prohibit exports but rather empower TCDA to regulate them through a permit system.

Receiving the petition, Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson commended the demonstrators for their peaceful conduct and assured them their concerns would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities, including the President of the Republic of Ghana.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE