A BROADER government strategy to rejuvenate Ghana’s cocoa sector to increase the country’s production, and empower rural communities in the cocoa value chain is in the offing, President John Dramani Mahama has announced.
They include the addition of 200,000 hectares of cocoa farm, establishment of cocoa processing factories in cocoa growing areas and a significant increase in cocoa producer price.
Addressing the chiefs and people of the Ahafo Region at Goaso on Saturday, May 31 as part of his ‘Thank You’ visit to the area, President Mahama said discussions were ongoing between the COCOBOD and other stakeholders for the announcement of an improved cocoa producer price in August.
“To cocoa farmers, the COCOBOD Chief Executive has informed me that in August, they will announce the new cocoa producer price and I can assure you, the price is going to be a very, very, very good price,” he assured.
The cocoa sector improvement programme forms part of a broader vision for the agriculture sector and the Bono East, Bono and Ahafo regions; a vision hinged on both human and infrastructure development.
According to the President, the three regions, carved out of the old Brong Ahafo Region in 2019, hold a major potential in the holistic development of the country and would be given the needed attention.
This assurance was contained in President Mahama’s remarks when he addressed separate durbars of chiefs and people of the three regions in Kintampo, Sunyani and Goaso on Thursday, Friday and Saturday respectively.
The government, President Mahama said, was deliberately working to revitalise the cocoa sector which he said has faced setbacks in recent years.
“Plans are underway to revamp the collapsed cocoa sector. Incentives will be provided to our hardworking farmers to increase cocoa production,” President Mahama assured.
“We aim to add 200,000 hectares of cocoa to Ghana’s output in order to increase the income of our farmers.”
In his view, this was the best time to be a cocoa farmer in particular and a farmer in general as government was taking steps to improve the lot of the Ghanaian farmer.
“So those of you who don’t have cocoa farms, go and start looking for land and start planting cocoa,” he urged.
In Kintampo, President Mahama announced plans to convert the Kintampo College of Health into the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences dedicated to training healthcare professionals and conducting research in areas including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health.
Additionally, a technical university, he said, would be established in Techiman, the capital on Bono East, as part of a comprehensive plan to develop the human capital base of the region and the country at large.
President Mahama said his administration was of the conviction that technical education was essential for industrial growth to help bridge the skills gap while creating employment opportunities for the country’s teeming youth.
The government, having earmarked GH¢15 billion, and same approved by Parliament for road infrastructure under the “Big Push” initiative across the country, the President said roads including Asuoya-Beredan, Offuman-Wenchi, Sunyani-Nkoranza, Techiman-Wenchi, Atebubu-Kajaji, Kintampo-Prang, Ejura-Atebubu, and Busunya-Atebubu, all in the region were under consideration for construction.
In Sunyani on Friday, President Mahama announced ongoing discussions with private sector players to establish a cashew processing factory in the Bono Region to ensure value addition, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy.
The Bono Region, a major cashew-producing area, exports most of its nuts in raw form, missing out on the benefits of the full value chain and denies the vital revenue and job opportunities inherent in cashew value addition, a trend President Mahama said must be reversed.
In his remarks, President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, urged the government not to waver in holding individuals accountable for their stewardship, but same must be done in accordance with due process to ensure their rights were not violated.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
