Cocoa farmers from across the country have hailed the new cocoa producer price announced by the government, describing it as unprecedented.
According to the farmers, the gesture by the government was not only a commitment to developing the cocoa sector, but also a move to improve their livelihoods.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of his farmer’s day speech, announced an increment in the producer price for cocoa in the country.
The increment, the third to be announced within the last 11 months, now moves the price of a bag of cocoa from GH¢3000 to GH¢3100 or GH¢48, 000 per metric tonne to GH¢49, 600.
According to the President, the decision to announce the new price was on the advice of the Producer Price Review Committee, and it was intended to recognise the hard work of cocoa farmers in the country.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of this year’s farmers’ day, the National Best Cocoa Farmer, Mr Alex Kwame, said the increment in the cocoa price was unprecedented as it was the first time any government in the history of the country had done so.
He said apart from the quantum leap in the prices of cocoa, the amount of investment government had made in the cocoa sector deserved mention.
Mr Kwame said initiatives such as the hand pollination, replanting of swollen shoot infected farms and the payment of income differentials were all helping the cocoa industry.
He said cocoa farming had become not only attractive, but also very profitable, adding that “I will, therefore, encourage the youth to consider getting into cocoa farming.”
The Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer of the year, Yaa Adjeley, from the Amenfi West District of the Western Region, said this was the best time to be a cocoa farmer.
She said in her 40 years as a cocoa farmer, she never anticipated that there would ever be a period where cocoa farming could become such a profitable venture.
Mrs Adjeley expressed her profound gratitude to the President and the Chief Executive Officer of the COCOBOD, Mr Joseph Boahene Aidoo, for their support to cocoa farmers over the last eight years.
“I don’t know whether I should lie down for President Akufo-Addo or not. Akufo-Addo has actually done a lot for we cocoa farmers and we must show gratitude to him and his government,” Mrs Adjeley said.
She urged the youth to take advantage of the increase in the producer price and venture into farming, especially cocoa farming, to help break the cycle of unemployment in the country.
The Most Enterprising Male Cocoa Farmer, Mr Solomon Tolula, from the Assin Central Municipality, said previously cocoa price increases were very marginal, however, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo and Mr Aidoo it had been phenomenal.
He expressed his gratitude to the government for the improvement in their welfare and pledged to further expand his farm.