Cocoa Board intensifies programs to increase  productivity in the 2014-2015 season 


The Ghana Cocoa Board is intensifying its programs in the 2014-2015 cocoa season aimed at increasing productivity of cocoa farmers and make cocoa farming lucrative to attract and sustain the interest of the youth in Cocoa farming. 

The programs include free distribution of improved hybrid cocoa seedlings, free spraying against diseases, distribution of free fertilizers and the provision of some basic needs of cocoa growing communities. 

The Deputy Chief Executive in Charge of Agronomy and Quality Control of Ghana Cocoa Board Dr. Francis Oppong said this at the Launch of Nestle Cocoa Plan in Accra. 

The Nestle Cocoa Plan is a Public-Private Partnership arrangement which seeks to better the lives of cocoa farmers through the elimination of bottlenecks that undermining production. 

The Deputy Chief Executive in Charge of Agronomy and Quality Control of Ghana Cocoa Board Dr. Francis Oppong said Cocoa Board has also initiated cocoa rehabilitation and replanting program to assist farmers to rehabilitate and replant old, destroyed and abandoned cocoa farms. 

He stated that Board also plans to produce and distribute 50 million seedlings to cocoa farmers during the 2014/2015 season. 

Two million Ghana Cedis has been set aside to social intervention programs in the cocoa growing areas.  

Dr. Oppong commended Nestle for coming up with a Plan for cocoa farmers to complement efforts being made by the Government.

Dr. Oppong said government has directed Cocoa Board to take charge of the award and payment of cocoa road contracts. The Managing Director of Nestle is Moataz El Hout.

The Corporate and Communications Manager of Nestle Aaron Fenu said company realized that most cocoa growing communities where it source its cocoa from have several issues which government alone cannot address hence the decision to contribute toward enhancing the lives of the cocoa farmers.


SOURCE: GBC's Parliamentary Correspondent, Dominic Hlodzi.