–Minister Mustapha tells farmers, points to investments in value-added produce  

AGRICULTURE Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that greater investment in value-added agriculture is key to reducing the exploitation of farmers by middlemen, as the government intensifies efforts to expand agro-processing across the country.

The minister highlighted this initiative while engaging residents and farmers in Region Three, as part of a massive government outreach led by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

Addressing farmers at Hague Village, Mustapha highlighted the disparity between prices, noting that middlemen often reap the largest profits.

“You the farmers here who are producing the product, when you sell your produce, they pay you little to nothing and they take it to the market and they put on three times and four times the price. So, when you go to the market and you sell a pint of pepper for $100, hypothetically, and they [middlemen] sell it for $500,” the minister said.

He said the government is moving to change this dynamic in Region Three by encouraging value-added production rather than the sale of raw produce alone.

Mustapha said: “So, we are trying now to curtail that, here in Region Three. We want value added to ensure that when you produce whatever product, we must not only sell the primary product, but we must also add value to it.”

According to the minister, the strategy will be strengthened over the coming years as part of a broader push to develop agro-processing.

He said: “And in the next five years, we will intensify this area. Development in this area will build out an agro processing sector.”