Duayaw-Nkwanta: Dr Ransford Abbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has stated that the Board’s challenging financial situation is hindering efforts to enhance cocoa road infrastructure and implement various interventions. The CEO highlighted mounting debts as a significant barrier to the Board’s initiatives aimed at addressing emerging challenges, establishing cocoa clinics, and providing essential healthcare services.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Abbey expressed these concerns during an interaction with cocoa farmers and cooperative unions at Tenponso, a cocoa-growing community near Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region. His visit was part of a familiarisation tour of the Bono and Ahafo Regions to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by cocoa farmers and assess their needs.
Dr Abbey voiced dissatisfaction with the current national cocoa production output, urging farmers to increase productivity while assuring them of the government’s commitment to addressing sector challenges. He emphasized the need for joint efforts between COCOBOD and farmers to implement strategies and interventions that would boost national cocoa production.
He further highlighted the critical role of cocoa in the nation’s economy and urged farmers to support COCOBOD’s initiatives for economic growth, stability, and sustainable development. Dr Abbey also asked for the farmers’ patience, assuring them that the government is actively working to resolve their issues.
Miss Martha Addai, President of the Brong-Ahafo Women Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Central Union (BAWCOF) Limited, committed the union’s support to enhancing cocoa production in the country. She noted that the union, with over 7,000 members in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions, collectively harvested about 4,355 metric tons of cocoa in the previous season and is poised to increase production with adequate support.
Additionally, some cocoa farmers expressed optimism about the sector’s future and called on the government to provide essential agricultural inputs, agrochemicals, and fair pricing for cocoa beans.
