Cocoa farmers at risk over poor handling of agro chemicals

Investigations conducted by GBC’s Radio Ghana in the Ashanti region on cocoa shows that some cocoa farmers are at risk of contracting complicated health challenges due to poor handling of agro chemicals.

 These farmers are also at risk of contracting skin diseases, itching of the eye, blood cancer, organ damage, low sperm count and menstrual disorder. 

GBC’s Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Nicholas Osei Wusu, reports that multiple factors including difficulty in access to extension services, personal protective gear and non-adherence to precautionary measures are responsible for the situation. 

It was observed through the investigations that the centralized Community Spraying Taskforce are poorly resourced with working and personal protective tools to meet the needs of all the cocoa farmers within their operational areas while government’s chemical and fertilizer support reach the farmers either in insufficient quantities or late.

The farmers also do not take enough precautionary measures whenever they apply the chemicals on the farms themselves.

These revelations have been corroborated by an Agronomist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr. Enoch Adjei Osekere who has already conducted research on farmers’ handling of pesticides.

The Ashanti Regional Extension Officer of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Geoffrey Sam, confirmed that there are currently only 81 Cocoa Extension Officers serving the 15,875 cocoa farmer population in the region, working out to one Extension Agent to about 1,500 cocoa farmers.

This situation, Mr. Sam noted, defeats the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO’s standard of One Extension Officer to 500 cocoa farmers. 

He however gave the assurance that COCOBOD is instituting various measures to serve a greater majority of cocoa farmers, particularly those in the hinterlands, with expert advice on best agronomic practices.
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