Chief releases 500 acre-land to youth for farming

The chief of Krodua in the Eastern Region, Nana Kwame Anim II, has offered to release 500 acres of land to young people eager to go into cocoa farming.

This is in support of the “Young Cocoa Farmers Programme” - an intervention by the government to fight the growing unemployment and boost cocoa production.

The chief announced the decision to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the eighth National Chocolate Day celebration, which was held in the community.

“Youth in cocoa, sustaining cocoa production’ was the theme for this year’s event.

Nana Anin encouraged young people from the area, who had migrated to the cities in search of non-existing jobs to return home to take advantage of the land he was making available to own cocoa farms.

He said the benefits would be enormous, adding that, “farming is a rewarding business”.

He applauded the management of COCOBOD for scaling up extension services to farmers, to aid them to adopt best practices towards improved crop yield and returns.

Mr. Samuel Tobi, who was adjudged the young promising cocoa farmer for year 2013, used the occasion to share his personal experience with the large gathering.

He had gone into cocoa farming in year 2001 and cultivated four acres at the start. He has now expanded the farm to cover 20 acres and producing 300 bags of cocoa.