Gov’t to assist cocoa farmers to increase yields

Government says it will continue to offer all the necessary assistance to encourage cocoa farmers to increase yields, since the crop remains the mainstay of the country's economy.

Although oil production has started in the country, it accounted for only US$700million as compared to cocoa which earned the country a total of US$3billion last year alone.

“Apart from the provision of seedlings and the mass cocoa spraying exercise under the rehabilitation exercise, government will also provide everything that will enhance increased production,” said President John Dramani Mahama in Accra, when members of the Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut (COCOSHE) called on him to show appreciation for the recent increase in cocoa prices and bonus for farmers engaged in production of the three commodities.

Government recently announced an increase in producer price for 64 kilogrammes of cocoa from GH¢212 in the 2013/2014 farming season to GH¢345 in the 2014/2015 cocoa season, and increased their bonus per tonne from GH¢2 to GH¢5.

The increase was meant to motivate farmers to step-up their production and acquire more farmlands to increase production.

President Mahama observed that cocoa farming is good business and urged the youth to engage in farming as the future is in their hands."We need to see cocoa production as a business and not for old people in the rural areas."

He condemned the use of doctored scales to cheat cocoa farmers throughout the country, and appealed for all to be vigilant to eliminate the fraud that is denying farmers the benefit of their sweat.

President Mahama, who later commissioned a building complex of COCOSHE around Airport West, adding that cocoa farmers have worked hard for the country’s development through farming, and government will continue to support them.

Dr. Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), said the outfit is putting in measures to eliminate child labour in cocoa growing areas, as he appealed to all stakeholders to play their roles responsibly.

“The free fertiliser and free input programmes will help to resuscitate the cocoa industry and that will attract more farmers to go into cocoa production,” he remarked.

Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, National President of COCOSHE who described the increase in producer price as unprecedented, said cocoa production will increase as the prices of the commodity will motivate a lot more farmers.

He said the price increase will also go a long way to help the farmers recover their costs, and challenged them to contribute their quota toward the betterment of all Ghanaians.