As a critical part of the nation’s economy, the cocoa industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years, and farmers are adamant that the next CEO must possess a deep understanding of the sector.

Farmers argue that appointing someone with direct ties to the cocoa-growing regions is essential to effectively address the pressing issues facing the industry.

They believe that a leader well-versed in cocoa business and who understands the realities of farming communities will be key to revitalizing the sector.

“The challenges facing the cocoa sector, such as low producer prices, limited access to fertilizers, poor road infrastructure, and other essential inputs, require a leader who is not only knowledgeable but also empathetic towards the needs of the farmers,” said Chief Farmer Fredrick Gbodzi Subriso.

Nana Akwasi Awuah, the Krotihene of Nsawakrom, also voiced his concerns, warning that appointing someone disconnected from the cocoa industry could stifle progress.

He emphasized that the CEO should be an advocate for cocoa farmers’ interests and be deeply involved in the industry.

Martha Addai, the National Best Woman Cocoa Farmer of 2016, also supported the call, stressing that the future of Ghana’s cocoa industry depends on leadership that both understands the challenges and is committed to ensuring sustainable growth.

She pointed out that engaging effectively with farmers could inspire the youth to pursue careers in cocoa farming.

One of the names being suggested by farmers is Bennett Akantoa, former Managing Director of Cocoa Marketing Company GH Limited during President Mahama’s first administration.

His extensive experience in the cocoa sector has made him a strong candidate to lead COCOBOD and help address the challenges facing the industry.

“The cocoa sector deserves a leader who can navigate the complexities of the industry and forge stronger ties with farmers. Bennett Akantoa’s past contributions to the sector make him well-suited to lead and drive change,” said the farmers in their appeal.

As the cocoa industry faces uncertain times, farmers continue to advocate for leadership that truly understands the sector and can work to create a brighter future for Ghana’s cocoa farmers.

ALSO READ:

• National best cocoa farmers advocate for enhanced value addition

• COCOBOD CEO resigns

The seasonal Harmattan wind, which usually sweeps in from the Sahara Desert between December and March, was blowing hard last week while rains were mainly below average, farmers told Reuters.

The world’s top cocoa producer is in its dry season which runs from mid-November to March, when rainfall is low.

The farmers said that there were enough pods on cocoa trees to harvest until late January after which harvesting would fall sharply.

In the west-central region of Daloa and in the central region of Yamoussoukro, where no rain fell last week, and in the central region of Bongouanou, where rainfall was weak, farmers said they were concerned by the dry weather.

They said if the Harmattan wind remained strong during the next two weeks and there was still no good rainfall, leaves would start to dry, weakening cocoa trees and lowering the cocoa outlook.

“There is no rain and if the Harmattan remains strong, tree yields will be low from February onwards,” said Albert N’Zue, who farms near Daloa, where no rain fell last week, 3.7 millimetres (mm) below the five-year average.

Farmers also said buyers were looking for more beans to fulfil their contracts before the end of the year so they were offering to pay above the farmgate price of 1,800 CFA francs ($2.88) per kg.

However, in the western region of Soubre and in the southern region of Divo, where rains were weak, and in the southern region of Agboville and the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were well above average, farmers said growing conditions were good despite the wind.

“We’ve had enough rain. It will help trees produce cocoa from February onwards,” said Roger Koffi, who farms near Abengourou, where 30.1 mm of rain fell last week, 23.2 mm above the five-year average.

Average temperatures across the West African country last week ranged from 24.2 to 28.3 degrees Celsius.

ALSO READ:

• Weak cocoa production impacting COCOBOD amid record high prices – IMF

• Mahama promises year-round irrigation to revive cocoa farming

While the scale of the up-country bean stocking was not clear, a dozen farmers, buyers and officials from state regulator Cocobod confirmed the practice, with some blaming it for a slowing of bean purchases.

“I have more than 300 bags, but I won’t sell,” said a cocoa farmer in south-central Ghana, who asked not to be named. “I will only sell after Christmas. We want to see if they will increase the price as they said.”

The sources all said that farmers were reacting to comments by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who told supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party four weeks ago that the government would raise prices for farmers.

Bawumia, who is running for the presidency in Dec. 7 elections, was speaking in Sefwi Wiaso in southwestern Ghana, one of the country’s biggest cocoa growing towns. He has since said his comments had been misunderstood.

Ghana lost more than a third of its 2023/24 cocoa output to smuggling, according to Cocobod officials, adding to woes that brought production to a more than two-decade low and helped send global cocoa prices to record highs.

In a bid to boost farmer incomes and deter smuggling, Ghana raised the fixed farmgate price by nearly 45% to 48,000 cedis, or just under $3,000, per metric ton for the 2024/25 season, which opened in September.

However, Ivory Coast – Ghana’s neighbour and the world’s biggest cocoa grower – raised its price to 1,800 CFA francs ($3.00) per kilogramme, just slightly above Ghana’s.

NO PRICE ADJUSTMENT

Local media quoted Bawumia as saying the government would bring the farmers’ price on par with Ivory Coast’s.

Speaking to Reuters on Friday, however, Bawumia said there would only be a price adjustment in the case of a “significant difference” between the two countries’ prices.

“As it is, there is no significant difference, so we are not adjusting prices,” he said.

Still, many farmers believe a price hike is on the way.

A district manager for one of the top five licensed cocoa buyers in Ghana told Reuters in the southeastern town of Suhum that purchases had slowed in October, citing farmers as saying they were keeping their beans because they heard prices would be increased.

Another senior buyer said some farmers, after hearing prices might be increased, had even asked that beans they’d already sold be returned.

Cocobod CEO Joseph Aidoo told local media on Monday that the farmgate price will be raised if the Ghanaian cedi currency depreciates, eroding farmers’ income.

However, Samuel Adimado, president of Ghana’s cocoa buyers’ association said the current price was optimal for farmers and would help Cocobod clear its debts.

“The question is, how long can you hoard? Once it’s not smuggled out, they (farmers) will eventually release it,” he said.

Bismark Fuachie, the 2022 National Best Cocoa Farmer, Joyce Dapaah, the 2022 Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer, and Peter Paintsil, the 2022 Most Promising Young Cocoa Farmer, made this call during their visit to KOA, a natural cocoa fruit juice producer based in Zurich, Switzerland.

During their educational tour of Europe to engage with international partners in the cocoa value chain, the farmers were impressed by KOA’s innovative use of cocoa pulp.

They urged the company to expand its operations to all cocoa-growing regions in Ghana.

Joyce Dapaah emphasized the potential for substantial income from other parts of the cocoa pod, considering the significant revenue generated from cocoa pulp, which is typically discarded.

Mr. Anian Schreiber, Managing Director and Co-Founder of KOA, welcomed the farmers to the KOA facility and highlighted that cocoa pulp provides an additional income stream for farmers, with many already participating in the initiative.

Peter Paintsil expressed his appreciation for the work being done by KOA in Ghana and stated that he would encourage his fellow farmers to view cocoa farming as a viable business.

He also thanked the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for their interventions that have significantly improved yields.

The farmers also visited Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) and Barry Callebaut, a global leader in cocoa processing and value addition, where they learned about the intricate processes involved.

Additionally, the team toured the Lindt Chocolate Museum to learn about the history of chocolate, the entire process of chocolate production, from cocoa bean to finished product, and sampled different types of chocolate.

They were particularly excited about how Ghana Cocoa is featured as a model for sustainable cocoa farming.

READ ALSO:

• The People’s Forum: Onion traders in Adjen Kotoku urge gov’t to fix deteriorating road
• Our boycott of Sage, Blue Ocean depots hold – LPG Marketers Association
• Producer Price Inflation surges to 33.2% in August 2024

Speaking at a meeting of cocoa farmers in Gomoa Afransie in the Central Region, he bemoaned how many cocoa farmers use agrochemicals such as “condemn” and “run-up” on their cocoa crops to get rid of weeds.

He pointed out that, such weedicides kill essential elements in the soil and contaminate other crops such as yam and cassava grown on the same land, making them unsafe to consume.

“Most of us use chemicals like condemn on the farms, before you use this pesticide kindly think of the name, it means destruction, so how do you use such chemicals on your farmers?  Run-up isn’t also good for your farm, instead, these pesticides kill all the essential elements in the land.

“It also contaminates the yam, cassava, and other food items grown on the same land making it dangerous for consumption. It causes cancer in our bodies, that’s why we are asking you to ban the use of those weedicides.”

The COCOBOD CEO further suggested that farmers use the machines provided by the institution for the spraying exercise.

He mentioned that the machines were distributed to some farmers on credit to be paid back in annual installments (GHC 1000 cedis).

However, none of the farmers have made any attempt to pay the annual installments, and the machines have not been put to use.

“That is why we introduced you to the machines, we gave it out to some farmers to use it and pay for it on annual instalment of 1000 cedis, but none of you have even paid a dime. “I don’t have a problem with the fact that you haven’t paid for it, my worry is the fact that you don’t utilize the machines,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• GES introduces self-placement system for newly qualified teachers
• Sefa Kayi’s shocking reaction to Chef Smith’s saga [Listen]
• NPP running mate: Opoku Prempeh speaks on his nomination

The leader of the Ellembelle Concerned Cocoa Farmers, Benjamin Azachie speaking after presenting their petition to the Ellembelle Member of Parliament, appealed to him to help stop the takeover of cocoa farms by “galamseyers” in the area which is destroying their investment and water bodies.

In an interview with Citi News, Grace Amihere, a resident of Ellembelle said, “I’m demonstrating because of the pollution of our water and destruction of cocoa farms. How are we going to feed our children with the destruction of our farms? The operators suddenly came without prior notice to us.

“They tried to pay off my brother to mine in his cocoa farm, but because he refused to accept their money, they have destroyed half of the farm. Why are they doing this to us? This is what worries us. President Akufo-Addo must address this concern. Right now, farmers are not getting water to drink.

Another resident Ama Amihere also said, “They have destroyed rubber farms and also cheated the farmers after forcefully taking their farms. So, we are pleading with government that what is happening is not lawful.”

The once-clean River Fia has been polluted after the invasion of “galamsey” activities in the Nyamebekyere-Sendu area of Ellembelle.

Nicholas Kofi Mawuli, the Assemblyman for the area, Nyamebekyere Electoral Area, expressed concerns about the use of Chinese in fronting illegality.

After over an hour of demonstrating at the Sendu galamsey site, the Convener of the Concerned Cocoa Farmers of Ellembelle presented their petition to the MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Armah-Kofi Buah assured the cocoa farmers to forward their concerns to Parliament and urged residents to speak against “galamsey.”

ALSO READ:

• I’ve undertaken 18 anti-galamsey operations in my district since 2017 – Ellembelle DCE

• ‘Galamseyers’ always run to pastors, politicians and other bigwigs for protection – Ellembelle DCE…

The government’s local pricing system has left many cocoa farmers frustrated and hopeless.

In the Afigya Kwabre district of Ghana’s Ashanti region, people like Kingsley Owusu are known for growing Ghana’s leading cash crop. Owusu and his community have been growing cocoa beans for over 30 years.

For many years, the cocoa harvest allowed him to take care of his children, who have all grown to adulthood. But now, at the age of 60, Owusu is worried about his own livelihood.

“My production levels have gone down because of climate change and diseases. And illegal mining activities are also contributing to this,” Owusu told DW, adding that he barely makes enough to get by.

Owusu used to produce about 10 bags of cocoa per season, but now he struggles to fill even three. As a result, he has far less cash in hand than he used to.

Ghana steps in to help cocoa farmers

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which regulates the sector, recently announced that it would significantly increase what it pays cocoa farmers per ton.

COCOBOD said in a statement that “the increase in the producer price of cocoa has become necessary to enhance the income of cocoa farmers.”

From the previous rate of 20,928 Ghanaian cedis (€1,460/$1,557) per ton, it pledged an increase of nearly 60%, meaning it would pay farmers 33,120 cedis per ton moving forward. That translates to 2,070 cedis per bag of cocoa with a gross weight of 64 kilograms.

But farmers like Owusu have taken issue with the government’s new pricing policy.

Ghana’s cocoa farmers feel left out of decision-making

“Per the world price, we should be receiving more,” he told DW, highlighting that this month, the price of cocoa on the world market had reached $10,000 per ton.

The price for cocoa is chiefly determined at commodity futures markets in New York and London, which are largely driven by supply and demand.

However, the way cocoa beans are sold is based on different standards in each country, with cocoa trading systems across Africa often varying greatly in their structures.

In Ivory Coast, for example, the leading producer on the continent, farmers can sell their beans to cooperatives they belong to or trade directly with private buying companies.

But in Ghana, the world’s second-largest exporter of cocoa, there is a long-established mechanism that limits farmers in a number of ways. They cannot trade with external buyers and thus lack control over their own pricing.

They can only sell their beans to the state agency COCOBOD, which then trades that product on the global market.

Moses Djan Asiedu, board secretary of the West African Cocoa Farmers Organization, agrees with the concerns voiced by local farmers in Ghana. “COCOBOD is a pricemaker, and the price established [is] beyond [the control of] the farmers. And we think that the facility that is establishing the price is not a fair thing,” he told DW.

Purpose of Ghana’s centralized cocoa market

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, told DW that when cocoa prices on the global market increase, it does not immediately affect farmers’ pockets.

“The increment in price [changes] at the international market is something that we get excited about — excited because this provides farmers with opportunities to improve revenue,” he explained, adding that they deal in “forward sales” with farmers.

But Ghana’s policy of forwarding cocoa sales prices means producers are reliant on the prices the government agrees to, without having an independent say in the matter.

COCOBOD said this policy is intended to allow for both the government and cocoa-producing farmers to have some collective control over the mechanisms of supply and demand on the commodities market, securing future cocoa supplies to address any risks in price volatility while also stabilizing the market.

But Asiedu said this arrangement leaves cocoa-producing countries like Ghana helpless in securing fair pricing for all, and said this must change. “There is no fairness. That is why COCOBOD also agrees to [accept] whatever is given,” he said.

Asiedu said local farmers in Ghana deserve to get more than just a fraction of the price their beans are sold for, and blames government involvement in the production process for shortchanging producers.

“The government only [looks at] the cost involved in handling the cocoa before they offer a price for the farmers,” he told DW.

Boafo agreed that this policy of forward selling Ghana’s cocoa may not present farmers with opportunities to reap the full benefits of their output, especially now that prices are up on the world market.

However, he believes Ghana’s policy also has its benefits, and that is has protected farmers in the past by establishing reliable rates for their crops.

Are farmers facing an untamable market?

According to Asiedu of the West African Cocoa Farmers Organization, Ghana might be running out of time to save the cocoa sector. Many farmers are either abandoning their businesses or retiring without having anyone who could inherit their farm.

“Most farmers, about 70%, are overaged. And they lack the strength to maintain their farms, especially if they do not get enough money … for their labor. So they abandon their farms,” Asiedu explained.

To halt this trend, both Ivory Coast and Ghana took an unusual step in 2019 to improve farmers’ living conditions. They declared that cocoa buyers would have to pay an additional premium of $400 per metric ton of cocoa beans purchased to compensate for the changing and aging cocoa labor market — the so-called living income differential.

However, a new study by the humanitarian organization Oxfam, released at the World Cocoa Conference, shows that this approach has failed, partly on account of the rising commodity prices.

But the policy also crashed in part because traders also pay a negotiated premium for cocoa based on qualities like taste, fat content or bean size — what is called the “country differential.”

“At least if [the price on the global market] came in at a certain level where the farmer would always be comfortable enough to still produce and the buyer would also be able to afford [cocoa], we could sustain this,” Boafo told DW. “But in this situation, where the market is not working in the interest of the cocoa farmer, it becomes difficult for the sustainability of the industry.”

Oxfam’s study reveals that cocoa buyers simply reduced the country differentials for Ivory Coast and Ghana after these countries had introduced the $400 premium to support farmers.

No more chocolate?

Meanwhile, another major crisis is already brewing on the cocoa horizon in these two leading producer countries: production levels have gone down drastically in recent years.

Ghana produced about 750,000 metric tons of cocoa beans in the crop season between 2021 and 2022. However, production has dropped sharply since then. Ghana’s cocoa output for the season between 2023 and 2024 is now expected to be down by almost 40%.

Boafo said this bean shortage was the reason recent prices exceeded $10,000 per ton on the world market. 

Asiedu explained that in addition to not fetching fair prices for cocoa beans, the sector also faces serious threats from climate change and other factors.

“We now have unusual rainfall, unusual sunshine, and sometimes you cannot predict this. We also have quite a number of [other] issues, like diseases, which farmers would have to control,” he told DW. “And sometimes access to chemicals to combat [diseases] also becomes an issue.”

Boafo added that smart farming methods needed to be adopted to protect the sector and fight global warming. “Climate change is a major concern,” he said. It is key that we are able to deal with its effects.”

But whether the issue is climate change, commodity prices, pests, output rates or incentives to continue the cocoa trade, it would appear that the countries that produce the precious beans don’t have much power to influence the price outcome.

That power, it seems, lies almost exclusively with the chocolate buyers and their middlemen.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) announced a 58.26 percent increase, setting the price at GH¢33,120 cedis per ton for the 2023/2024 crop season.

This decision, according to COCOBOD, aims to distribute the benefits of soaring global cocoa prices and discourage the smuggling of cocoa beans.

However, the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association has voiced strong opposition to the increase, stating it is inadequate.

President of the Association, Stephenson Anane Boateng in an interview on Citi FM asserts that cocoa farmers are being unfairly treated.

“Cocoa has been raised globally to $10,000 per metric ton. So if you compare, and you convert to our currency, it is running into over GH¢9,000. We totally disagree with them. We pay our labour, we buy inputs for the farm, and then we also pay ourselves.

“So in a nutshell, we get only GH¢600 for that while COCOBOD also gets GH¢7,000. So what work did COCOBOD do and give us that money? It’s an insult!”

ALSO READ:

• Minority demands increase in farm-gate cocoa price

• Govt increases producer price of cocoa to support farmers

The day, climaxing the celebration of the National Chocolate Week, afforded the farmers the chance to be freely screened to know their health conditions in a collaborative exercise between Cocobod and the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) hospital in Sunyani.

The Administrator of Cocoabod in the region, Michael P.K. Asumanu, explained that the exercise is aimed at identifying diseases that affect cocoa farmers in cocoa-growing areas.

“We want to also drum home the need for everybody to consume cocoa products considering the enormous health benefits”, he said, and added that such a move ultimately benefits the farmer more.

Most of these farmers hardly visit the hospital to know their health conditions, mostly hidden, let alone seek treatment, a situation that affects their work as key stakeholders in the cocoa economy, hence the need to bring healthcare to their doorsteps.

They were screened for high blood pressure, sugar levels and body weight. There was also eye screening, all in a bid to ensure that their health conditions that are usually hidden do not escalate and put them at greater risk.

A nutritionist at the SDA hospital, Kwame Adu Twum, said beyond prescribing medications for the farmers, they also refer people whose cases warrant further attention to the hospital for further assessment and treatment.

“The good thing is, I am seeing elderly farmers above 40 years taking part in the screening, unlike the youth who are also entering the hypertensive and diabetic bracket.”

Mr Twum advised the people to see regular screening as an important way of safeguarding their health.

“I advise them to go for regular checkups, especially blood pressure which is free at the healthcare centres, to improve their health”.

The Cocobod Administrator, Mr Asumanu, revealed that they are in the process of fine-tuning the provision of medications for the farmers in future screening plans, as was done during last year’s exercise in Kumasi.

“The government has recently launched the cocoa farmer’s pension scheme as part of efforts to comprehensively care for cocoa farmers beyond producing cocoa”, he noted.

He said they would explore means to provide medications for a farmer identified as a diabetic patient.

A 59-year-old cocoa farmer at Korasua No1, Kwabena Nyarko, lamented the challenge of financing the prescribed drugs for his eyesight difficulties.

“If I don’t get a loan from anywhere, I can’t buy the drugs since I can’t afford it”, he said.

He appealed to the government to provide drugs for them in future screenings to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers.

“Without us being in good health, we can’t continue to produce the raw cocoa beans”, he stressed.

The Bono Regional Cocobod Extension Officer, Stephen Antwi Asamoah, recounted the worrying sentiments of some farmers over their inability to afford the outcome of their work, such as chocolate.

“Now that we can’t provide them chocolates, we are serving them with cocoa drinks with the hope of liaising with management to at least get the farmers chocolates on Valentine’s Day”, he said.

The climax of the Chocolate Week celebration also saw the exhibition of cocoa products, the outdooring of a cocoa shop to sell cocoa products any day at the cocoa house, and a quiz competition among some senior high schools in Sunyani.

The farmers attributed the decline to a myriad of challenges including illegal mining, shortage of agro-chemicals such as fertilizer, and dwindling farm-gate prices.

They expressed their grievances during a meeting with the NDC’s Building Ghana tour team, where they accused the Akufo-Addo government for collapsing certain unions, thereby limiting their ability to advocate for their needs effectively.

In particular, members of the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) highlighted the politicization of the cocoa industry as a significant factor causing the industry’s decline.

They also touched on issues such as the unavailability of essential inputs, difficulties in accessing loans, and the lack of modern equipment hindering both productivity and investment in cocoa farming.

Despite efforts to encourage youth participation in cocoa cultivation, farmers lamented the limited financial support and inadequate resources in the cocoa sector, exacerbating concerns about the industry’s future viability.

They, therefore called on government to prioritize their plight and implement comprehensive interventions to rebuild the cocoa industry.

It forms part of a policy to transform the cocoa industry he describes as ‘ailing’.

Mr. Mahama believes processing of cocoa beans will increase earnings from the cultivation of cocoa.

“We want to build factories in cocoa growing areas. The white man is able to earn more than five times of our earnings after processing the cocoa”, he said.

The final town hall meeting in the Western North Region was held in the Bia East District.

Meanwhile, concerns of cocoa farmers have characterised various town hall meetings in the cocoa growing area.

Cocoa farming is a major employer and major contributor to the country’s economy.

According to John Mahama, the government has struggled to secure a syndicated loan of 800 million dollars for the industry.

The inability of the Produce Buying Company to function effectively under the present government is a worry for the former President.

“From the days of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Produce Buying Company has been working. In my time as President, the company did well. They were making profit. Now, workers have not been paid for six months. It should tell you that the company has collapsed. Others are buying the cocoa beans as I speak but PBC isn’t able to buy”, he said.

Mr. Mahama further said, “when we were in power, PBC was buying it’s own trucks but today the trucks are not working. We will revive the industry” he added.

Details of policies suggested on the tour are expected to be captured in the party’s manifesto for the 2024 elections.

ALSO READ:

• ‘Insensitive’ Akufo-Addo shortchanged cocoa farmers – Mahama

• Mahama, NDC’s cocoa farmers’ pension claims a hoax – COCOBOD CEO

The government recently raised the producer price for cocoa, marking a significant jump from GH¢800.00 to GH¢1,308.00 per bag, with a corresponding increase from GH¢12,800.00 to GH¢20,943.00 per tonne, representing a 63.5% increment over the previous price.

Cocoa farmers in the region, who have faced years of hardship and financial struggle, lauded this move, which they believe will improve their livelihoods and provide a more sustainable income for their hard work.

They expressed their new found hope in the cocoa business which will help them cater for their families.

In addition to the price increment, they also commended government’s introduction of the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme to rehabilitate and replant old, diseased and abandoned cocoa farms.

The farmers urged the youth to engage in farming and called for an end to cocoa smuggling to neighboring countries to enable government achieve its cocoa production targets.

READ ALSO

• 13-year-old girl abandons school; goes into farming to raise money for…

• Newmont clarifies arrest of farmers at Ahafo Mines

• Cocoa politics: COCOBOD replies Mahama

This decision is to sell the cocoa in the neighbouring country to enable them fend for their families.

The aggrieved farmers disclosed this when they took their turn on the People’s Forum segment on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Thursday.

Though government has increased cocoa price from GH¢660 to GH¢800, the farmers maintain that, it is woefully inadequate.

They claim their lives have moved from bad to worse and their wives are threatening to divorce them.

They argue that the cost of farm inputs, and labourers have increased astronomically – a situation they blame on the current socio-economic conditions in the country.

They appealed to the government to adjust the price or else they will sell their cocoa in Cote D’Ivoire which has pegged its price to about ¢858 for the same season.

Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for Bia West, Bernard Gyebi Blay, appealed for calm.

He said government is working around the clock to revive the ailing economy.

This notwithstanding, Mr Blay said the Akufo-Addo government has done a lot of projects in agric, health and education to ameliorate the plight of residents.

“There is hope so let’s support government to deliver on its promises to the people,” he added.

They said this is not enough.

According to them, an increase to ¢1,500 would have been appreciated.

The President of the Concerned Farmers Association, Nana Oboadie Boateng Bonsu, revealed this.

He said his members are unhappy with the new rates and demand a further price adjustment.

“The government has put in some effort, but this is not enough for us. We were expecting about ¢1,500 so that we could at least have about ¢250 for welfare and ¢1,250 in the pocket of the farmer.”

“How can the cocoa farmers decide on a price and then government sits elsewhere and quotes its price without consulting us? There was no dialogue whatsoever.

“Our farmers are threatening to smuggle their produce to neighbouring countries if there is no further increment in the price.”

The government has increased the producer price for cocoa beans by 21% to ¢800 for the 2022/23 cocoa crop season.

This is lower compared to the Ivory Coast which pegged its price at about, ¢858 for the same season.

Prior to the announcement, a bag of cocoa was selling for ¢660 a bag in Ghana.

The new pricing regime will take effect from Friday, October 7.

However, following the announcement, some persons including the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee have taken on the government.

According to him, the increment is not reflective of the hardships faced by the farmers.

Also, the People’s National Convention has said it is unimpressed about the increment.

The party said the new farm gate price for the commodity is disrespectful to farmers.

“It is a very insulting and disrespectful gesture for cocoa farmers to sell their cocoa beans at, ¢800 per cocoa sack,” the party said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The farmers near the border areas say they are ready to take action if government refuses to increase the cocoa production prices for this year.

A bag of cocoa sells at GH¢660.00, however, the farmers have appealed to the government to adjust the price to GH¢1,200.00.

This comes on the back of the current economic situation in the country rendering them unable to cater for the cost of production.

Apart from the cost of farm inputs, cost of labourers and other services have increased, outrageously.

Meanwhile, the president of the Coalition for Cocoa Sector Reforms, Ayisi Kumah Thomas Kwesi, has called on the government to take a critical look at the situation of farmers as they continue to live in extreme poverty.

This, he said, has led to a high cost of operations for cocoa farmers since they would have to pay more for transportation of the water.

Although this adds up to the strenuous task of farming, this is the only means to ensure they produce cocoa beans that meet international standards.

Mr. Boafo noted that the country risks losing proceeds from cocoa if ‘galamsey’ activities linger on.

“Farmers now have to carry water from home to the farm before they are able to mix their fungicides and pesticides to spray their cocoa farms because the water bodies within the farming communities are not good enough for them to spray. So cost of operation for cocoa farming is high now and a farmer who is not having much from his activity now have to spend more,” he stated.

Mr. Boafo said the current figures on the destruction of cocoa plantations mainly by illegal mining is “frightening”.

“So clearly, on daily basis, we have these people taking over cocoa farms and then using the land for illegal mining. The Figure we have given to the public is figure from the beginning of the year. Indeed let me say that figure is from two cocoa regions. Meaning, if we do extensive work, the figure will be more frightening than what we see today,” he added.

According to Mr. Boafo, some traditional leaders take lands belonging to cocoa farmers who are mostly not alludial owners and do not hail from the community and hand over the lands to illegal miners.

He noted that COCOBOD’s legal team has been made available to farmers who experience this ordeal.

“Of course at present, what we are doing is that our legal team is available to help such farmers who are going through such difficulty.”

In May this year, Fiifi Boafo told Bloomberg that more than 19,000 hectares, or about two percent of cocoa plantations, have been destroyed by ‘galamsey’.

Already, there have been concerns that Ghana is unlikely to meet its initial output target of 850,000 tons this year. 

Cocoa output slumped 34% in the first six months of the season, compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Dr. Clifford Braimah, has advocated the involvement of the Water Resources Commission in the fight against illegal mining in Ghana.

According to him, this will strengthen the inter-agency efforts being employed to deal with the menace.

“For us in Ghana Water Company, we take the resource itself to produce water for citizens. But we do not have the role or the power to monitor the water bodies. It is the Water Resources Commission.

In all these activities that we’re carrying out, at what position have we placed the Water Resources Commission? Have you gone to the Water Resources Commission to look at even the offices they work in?” Dr Braimah quizzed.

The centenarian from Adansi Atobiase was among a group of cocoa farmers who went to the registration centre in the early hours of the first day of the registration exercise and were taken through the registration process.

Opayin Nkrumah expressed his delight at having gone through the process. He urged the younger generation of cocoa farmers to seize the opportunity to register with the scheme and make their contributions to secure a comfortable retirement.

“Look at me, at my age, I still harvest and sell cocoa. I have been farming for over 50 years. I still love cocoa farming and the pension scheme is a step in the right direction. We have been waiting for it for a long time and we are grateful to the government for it,” he said.

President Nana Akufo-Addo last year launched the National Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme in Kumasi and announced that it would be rolled out in October this year.

The scheme is a regulated one sponsored by the COCOBOD to cover registered cocoa farmers and their beneficiaries.

The scheme selected New Edubiase for the pilot project because it is the highest cocoa producing district in the Ashanti Region.

Scheme details

The ongoing pilot registration exercise will go on for 14 days. Within the period some 2,800 volunteer farmers will be enrolled on the scheme. The farmers will provide feedback to help improve the designed operational framework for the nationwide registration scheduled for October of this year.

During a visit to some of the pilot registration centres , the consultant to Stallion Trust, the fund administrators, Mr Arnold Mensa-Bonsu, expressed the belief that New Edubiase would be the best place for the trial.

Taking the farmers through the process, Mr Mensa-Bonsu said all farmers who went for the Cocoa Management System (CMS) and were issued with a card would contribute a maximum of five per cent of their cocoa sales to the fund, while COCOBOD would match it with one per cent contribution.

He said farmers were, however, at liberty to contribute more than that, and explained that out of the contribution, 25 per cent would be put into personal savings for the farmer, while the other 75 per cent would go into a retirement account.

While the personal savings could be accessed after five years of contribution, Mr Mensa-Bonsu said the retirement account could only the accessed upon retirement.

In the case of the personal savings account, he said, a farmer could access 25 per cent of the accrued sum after five years and 20 per cent after every two years.

He said the main qualification for the pension scheme was for one to be registered and issued with the Ghana Cocoa Card, saying it was the only means through which one could sell cocoa beans and be registered onto the scheme.

Mr Mensa-Bonsu said the card contained all the details of the farmer, including his or her farm size and could not be stolen and used by another person because “some of the information on the card is only known to the owner”.

So far, he said, all cocoa farmers in the Western North cocoa region had been registered onto the CMS, while registration in Ashanti was ongoing.

The CMS provides a database for the cocoa industry to track the contribution of farmers and to facilitate prompt payment of claims to beneficiaries.

The farmers claim that the dilapidated nature of road networks plus the onset of the rains have adversely affected the conveyance of cocoa beans from farms and producing communities to the various market centres in the country.

The farmers appealed to the government to treat their plea as an emergency situation and come to their aid as their cocoa beans are rotting away on their farms.

The Regional Manager, PBC Western South, Kusi Appiah, lamented that the bad roads have affected the status of the farmers in the area.

ALSO

• Akufo-Addo tours Volta region as he resumes campaign

• Mahama visits Frante accident victims [Photos]

He has, therefore, reiterated his appeal to the government to urgently help reconstruct the road, which is virtually abandoned.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Produce Buying Company (PBC), Alfred Ofori-Anne, assured the farmers that the PBC will be in touch for their needs.

He said the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA) would be the managers of the scheme, adding that the scheme would not only care for cocoa farmers when they retire, but would guarantee the sustainability of Cocoa production in the country as the youth would be attracted to cocoa farming.

Mr Aidoo said this on Monday (September 14) when he paid a courtesy call on members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs to brief them on the achievements and challenges of COCOBOD and the way forward.

He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of operations of Cocoa, Dr Emmanuel Opoku and Directors and research Scientists from COCOBOD.

The CEO said the implementation of the scheme was in fulfillment of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s promise to cocoa farmers in 2016.

He said COCOBOD was set up to roll out a cocoa management system, which sought to access the Bio-data of Cocoa farmers.

Mr Aidoo said the Bio-data would afford COCOBOD the opportunity to streamline operations and cater for the welfare of farmers.

He said under the system, COCOBOD would measure the acreage of each cocoa farm and that identification cards would be issued to farmers before they could market their farm produce, noting that payment to farmers would be made on their ID cards to avoid snatching of their money by armed robbers.

The CEO said COCOBOD was committed to improve on the needs of the Cocoa farmer, hence the introduction of the Productivity Enhancement Programme to help boost productivity as well as the livelihoods of Cocoa farmers.

He said the Cocoa industry had played a crucial role in Ghana’s socio-economic development and remained an important source of employment and revenue generation for cocoa farmers.

Mr Aidoo mentioned the numerous nutritional and medicinal values of Cocoa and encouraged the chiefs to patronise made in Ghana chocolate and other cocoa products, which he stressed were good immune and nerves boosters in the elderly and IQ builders in children.

He said, everything was being done to establish a cocoa processing factory in the Western North Region specifically in Sefwi-Wiawso.

The CEO noted that processing of Cocoa locally would not only add value to the Cocoa, but the waste from processing could be transformed into other products such as fertilizer.

Mr Aidoo was, however, unhappy about the way some cocoa farmers were giving out their farms and lands to galamsey operators and called on the chiefs to help find a lasting solution to the situation.

He also expressed concern about the way forest reserves were allocated to galamsey operators to mine. This, he noted, would deplete the nation’s forest, which would affect the rainfall pattern and cocoa production in the country.

Touching on the black pod disease, the CEO said it was so disheartening that many cocoa farms were affected especially farms in the Western North Region, but added that his outfit was doing everything possible to curb the situation.

He said COCOBOD had rolled out a number of measures including pruning of Cocoa trees, mass spraying and hand pollination to help fight the black pod disease.

Some cocoa farmers in the country have expressed disappointment in the government following increment of the price of cocoa from GH¢7,600.00 to GH¢8,240.00 a tonne and GH¢475.00 to GH¢515.00.

According to them, the producer price of cocoa was not enough and would still worsen their economic welfare.

ALSO: Government increases cocoa price by 8.42 per cent

The increment in cocoa price implies 8.42 percentage increment, making it an upward review of GH¢640.00 and GH¢40.00 for a tonne and a bag respectively.

Dr Gyiele Nurah, a Minister of State at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced the increment on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, when he addressed a durbar organised by the Ghana Cocoa Board to mark the 14th National Cocoa Day Celebration at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani.

ALSO: 4 Multimedia Group journalists nominated for WAMECA

But, Chairman for Sefwi Boako cocoa farmers, Kweku Seidu, reacting to the increment said off-farm income constituted about one-third of total gross cocoa income and therefore was an important risk management strategy for cocoa farmers providing an additional source of livelihood income.

“We are not so happy about the increment. Farmers are really struggling and so we would be grateful if they increase it to GH¢700.00. Government has not been fair to us. Yes, they have increased it but they should consider our plea as well,” he told Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

ALSO: Audio: Napo denies CSE implementation

He added that it was important for COCOBOD and its related agencies to ensure equitable distribution of resources and services for all cocoa farmers.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

According to the farmers, the dilapidated nature of road networks has affected the transportation of cocoa beans from farms and production communities to the various market centres in the country.

Speaking in an interview on Adom News a committee member for the farmers lamented their cocoa beans is rotting away in the farms due to the nature of the roads.

“The situation has brought untold hardship to farmers and even though we have on several occasions reported to the District Assembly and the office of the Member of Parliament, nothing has been done about the situation.”

“We are therefore appealing to the Assembly, Member of Parliament for the area and Department of Feeder Roads to urgently help reconstruct the road which has been abandoned,” he said.

Meanwhile, Densereso Odikro, Tetteh Kwaosuro, has cautioned politicians in the area not to come there for any campaign if their road is not constructed.

Source: Adomonline.com|Adom News|Isaac Amoako

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Secretary, Sam Pyne has slammed former President John Mahama for interfering in the country’s cocoa sector.

Mr Mahama stated among other things during his visit to Sefwi Akontombra on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 that his regime increased the price of cocoa yearly but President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government had failed to do same, bringing hardship to the farmers.

He also reportedly told cocoa farmers that the NPP government had suspended all cocoa road projects initiated by his government, making road accessibility a headache for the people of the Western North.

READ: Y’asem Nie: Taxes killing our business – Bakers cry

But, speaking on Adom TV’s Morning show ‘Badwam’ Thursday, July 25, 2019, Mr Pyne said the problems faced by the farmers became rather protracted under the Mahama-administration and therefore it was wrong for him to make such allegations.

He questioned the contributions Mr Mahama made to the lives of cocoa farmers during his tenure.

ALSO: What did you do to improve lives of teachers? – Napo to Mahama

“The cocoa farmers Mahama claimed to have them at heart were living in misery. It is not true that cocoa farmers are suffering under Akufo-Addo. I must confess that the government that has helped farmers in the Ghana is the Akufo-Addo government and must be lauded,” he said.

Mr Pyne said former President Mahama only enjoyed destroying every good thing he inherited from his predecessors.

ALSO: NMC ruling on ‘Militia in the Heart of the Nation’ confusing – MFWA

He disclosed that the country’s cocoa production lost its capacity by a whopping 250,000 metric tonnes in his four years in power due to poor management and negligence.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

Reports by Adom News reporter, Kofi Adjei suggested that the destruction of the cocoa farms was to pave way for the building of an oil plantation company under government’s One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative.

ALSO: Photo: 3 men jailed 19 years each for possessing narcotic drugs

Speaking in an interview with Adom News, the assemblyman for the area, Paul Akyerew explained they were not informed about the company’s presence in the town.

“They came to the town on Monday and started the destruction with their bulldozers on Wednesday and upon confrontation, I was told it was a ‘1D1F’ company, but my checks at the assembly revealed otherwise,” he said.

ALSO: Audio: Rabies outbreak kills 2 at Kasoa

Several attempts by the cocoa farmers to stop the destruction of their cocoa farms proved futile due to the presence of heavily armed policemen hired from Swedru and Nyakrom by the company to the site.

Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Kofi Adjei

He said the annual syndicated facility has always been used to buy cocoa beans from farmers and it is prudent to seek funding from other sources to reengineer the farms to shore up production.

READ: All the photos: “77% speaks to 23%”: Conversation underway at AICC

Mr Aidoo said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in lieu of the syndication loan facility at the sidelines of a boardroom session as part of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The AIF is a totally transactional platform dedicated to advancing projects to bankable stages, raising capital and accelerating the financial closure of deals and organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

He said the facility availability dovetails into management’s strategy to rehabilitate old farms, disease trees and create irrigation systems for cocoa farms as well as timeous application hand pollination.

READ: Photo: Daddy Lumba look-alike Anokye Supremo, loses sight

“The target is to increase production from the current 15 bags per acre to 30 bags, maximizing land for increased yields expecting that in the next three years, and needed the loan to construct warehouses to store the commodity.”

The COCOBOD CEO said another target is to develop the local processing landscape with a national capacity of 450,000 metric tons, but “We are currently processing about 220,000 metric tons.”

He said there was need to scale-up and support local entrepreneurs in the commodity value-chain and again expand existing factories.

READ: Strike by mortuary workers will be a national disaster – Doctor

He said production within the next three-to-five years is expected to hit 1.3 – 1.5 million metric tons in order that export values are increased and the bean processed into cocoa drinks and chocolates for consumption by school children and the general public as directed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Mr Aidoo said an affirmation on the signing of the facility agreement by AfDB, the arranger of the facility is expected by December, this year, comes to fruition, so by February, next year, the cash would be available for these projects.

He said management of COCOBOD would rollout a strategy for continuous mass cocoa spraying and extending that to the exercise of pruning and spraying of cashew plantations to shore-up production of the two commodities.

He predicted that demand for cocoa would continue to be high, even in hundred years to come saying “Management of COCOBOD is strategically repositioning itself to begin considering planning towards the next 30 – 50 years from now and laying the right tactics towards addressing and achieving both local and foreign expectations.