Ghana achieved a landmark cocoa production milestone of 1,045,000 tonnes in the 2021/22 crop season, marking a significant boost in the country’s cocoa sector, according to Joseph Boahin Aidoo, CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). He highlighted that the average cocoa yield has surged from 450 kilograms per hectare in 2017 to an impressive 800 kilograms per hectare, thanks to a range of impactful government initiatives.
Aidoo shared these achievements during the 2024 festival of the Brong-Ahafo Women Co-operative Farmers and Marketing Central Union (BAWCOF) held in Goaso, Ahafo Region. The event, themed “Growing a gender-equal future: Empowering women and youth in agriculture,” gathered around 7,000 participants from 96 societies across nine cocoa districts in the Bono and Ahafo Regions.
One of the flagship projects boosting production, according to Aidoo, is the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme, aimed at combating the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD). Through this programme, 74,813 farms covering 67,385 hectares and owned by 56,105 farmers have been rehabilitated, with 44,480 farms covering 40,150 hectares now mature and ready to be handed back to 28,510 farmers as of August 2024.
Additional interventions, such as pruning and hand pollination, have also played a crucial role in improving cocoa quality, Aidoo added. He praised the remarkable productivity of a female cocoa farmer who harvested 6.7 tonnes per hectare (41 bags per acre), outperforming her male counterpart who produced 4.1 tonnes per hectare. This success, he said, highlights the potential of women in Ghana’s cocoa industry.
For the first time in over three decades, COCOBOD did not rely on offshore borrowing, instead opting for a ‘zero-borrowing model’ under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration to finance the 2024/2025 crop season. Aidoo noted that farmers have been receiving timely payments since the season began in mid-September, a marked improvement from previous years, and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) are demonstrating a faster turnaround in purchases and deliveries.
Michael P. K. Asumanu, COCOBOD’s Regional Administrator for Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo, commended women for their vital role in the cocoa supply chain, from seedling preparation to bean drying and sales. However, he raised concerns about challenges women face, such as limited access to resources, household responsibilities, and societal norms, which limit their participation in the cocoa industry.
BAWCOF President Martha Addai also addressed issues impacting cocoa farming, urging stakeholders to combat illegal mining, or “galamsey,” which threatens cocoa farmlands. She warned farmers against smuggling cocoa to neighboring countries, emphasizing the importance of local sales to strengthen the economy. She highlighted the union’s partnership with NGOs to provide training and support that enhances productivity and financial stability during off-seasons.
BAWCOF collectively manages 6,857 hectares of cocoa farms, yielding approximately 82,923 bags of cocoa each season. In addition, members at the festival were offered free breast cancer screenings by personnel from the Cocoa Clinic, reflecting COCOBOD’s commitment to the health and well-being of cocoa farmers.
SOURCE: http://dew360.net
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