President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reassured cocoa farmers that the government will continue to adopt innovations to increase productivity and improve their well-being.
“Through COCOBOD, the government will continue to implement innovations aimed at improving the welfare of Ghanaian farmers through the implementation of productivity enhancement programmes and remunerative producer pricing,” he noted
The President said this at Tepa in the Ashanti Region during the opening of the 2023/2024 cocoa season last Saturday.
He announced a 63.6% increase in the farm gate price of cocoa beans for the new cocoa season, from GH800 to GH1,308 per bag.
According to the president, is the highest producer price paid to Ghanaian cocoa farmers in over 50 years.
The increase comes after cocoa farmers intensified their requests for an increase in cocoa prices to stop smuggling and the practice of leasing out their property to illegal miners.
The President expressed the belief that the new regulations being implemented would benefit the cocoa industry.
He expressed confidence that COCOBOD’s initiatives will help Ghana achieve considerable self-sufficiency, encourage industrialization and offer a solid buffer against the negative consequences of price shocks.
According to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), 150,000 metric tonnes of cocoa have been smuggled out of Ghana this year alone, a phenomenon they are putting stringent measures in place to address it.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong assured farmers of the government’s commitment to combat smuggling, which is a major problem in Ghana’s cocoa business.
He stated that practical actions have been taken to arrest people and organisations that facilitate smuggling, which deprives the country and Ghanaian farmers of due compensation for their toil and sweat.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo urged cocoa farmers to continue to comply with COCOBOD’s multiple productivity enhancement programmes, particularly those encouraging pruning and hand pollination to raise output and revenues.
He reaffirmed COCOBOD’s commitment to farmers’ welfare, including fair pricing comparable with global trends.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
