Cocoa farmers in various regions cocoa growing communities in Ghana have threatened to sell their cocoa products to neighboring countries if the government fails to increase the cocoa producing price for the 2022/23 season.
They want a bag of cocoa, which currently sells at ¢660.00, to be adjusted to ¢1,200.00 or a much higher price than that.
Speaking to the issue of the aggrieved farmers, the President of the Ghana National Association of Cocoa Farmers Mr. Anane Boateng told Ohene Addoo, host of NKOUSUONSEM, a Plan-B Fm morning show, noted the farmers complaint are genuine and needs to be looked at.
According to him, current world price of a bag of Cocoa is been sold at ¢2,357.00 but the government of Ghana buys from the farmers at ¢660.
He wondered why a bag of a Cocoa on the world market is weighed at 54 kilos for a bag while the story is different in Ghana which is weighed at 64 kilos for a bag.
He continued that it is not a fair deal which is given to the Ghanaian farmers. He added that the situation is making life difficult for the farmers owing to the financial crisis the country nis currently going through.
puts, labourers and other services have outrageously increased”.
Another executive from the Ashanti region Obaa Yaa Asantewaa also said it is obvious that some of the farmers sell their cocoa farms to ‘galamseyers’ for quivk money the of the hardship in the farmers lives, she said some of the farmers too are shifting from cocoa production to rubber and other farm produce which is a treat to the nations cocoa production.
She stressed that there some benefits that are supposed to be enjoyed by the farmer’s children like cocoa scholarships are now been enjoyed by the children of cocobod officials and politicians.
They appealed to the government to adjust the price or else they will sell their cocoa to the Ivory Coast.
“We harvest large quantities of cocoa in this area but do not any benefits from our work. We engage in several farming activities and cultivate varieties of crops; yet, we are unable to afford our children’s education.
“We have heard that the cocoa business is now lucrative in Côte d’Ivoire so if the government does not increases the prices for us, we would export the products because fortunately for us, we are close to the Ivory Coast border,” they hinted.
President of the Associetion, has called on the government to take a critical look at the situation of farmers as they continue to live in extreme poverty.
“Today, due to the deteriorating living conditions of cocoa farmers, farmers under compelling circumstances sell out their cocoa farms to galamsey operators.
The illegal miners are buying and destroying cultivated lands, forests and water bodies.
“It is predictable that should this trend continue, galamsey activities may throw farmers away from their homes. We wish to emphasise for the attention of Cocobod and, for that matter, government that cocoa farmers are growing poorer and poorer; they are now vulnerable than before.
“They deserve no less than 100% increase in farm gate prices, beginning the 2022/23 season,” he stated.
Source:
Razak Mardorzgy/Planbfmonline
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