'Akuapem area to be a coffee enclave'

The Akuapem North Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Dennis Aboagye has called on the members of the Akuapem Coffee Growers Association(ACGA)to cooperate with Asili Coffee Purveyors Limited, a coffee processing company and the Assembly to make the place the largest coffee growing hub.

He urged more farmers to invest in the growing of coffee as Asili Coffee Purveyors Limited and COCOBOD were prepared to buy all their produce.

Mr Aboagye was speaking at the maiden meeting of ACGA at Akropong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region.

Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to the plan of Asili Coffee Purveyors Limited to support farmers to develop 5,000 acres of coffee farms in the Konkon area and explained that, if the project would provide employment for three persons per acre, then the project would generate direct employment for about 15, 000 people in the area.

The Municipal Chief Executive explained that it was in support of the idea that last year,the Assembly supported the project with the development of a nursery of 60,000 coffee seedlings.

Mr Owusu Manu, Director of COCOBOD in-charge of coffee assured the farmers of their support to develop coffee in the area.

He said COCOBOD had a responsibility to develop coffee production in the country to the level of cocoa and they would collaborate with the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly to train agriculture extension officers to support its production.

Mr John Nana Addo Francois, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Asili Coffee Purveyors Limited , promoters of coffee production in the area said, his company was determined to provide the needed support to enable them to produce high quality coffee to attract high price on the international market.

He explained that the quality of coffee depended on the post-harvest management of the coffee seeds hence his company was to start investing in infrastructure for a good post-harvest processing.

Mr Francois urged the members of the ACGA to vote for leaders who would be committed to ensure that coffee farmers in the area benefited from their sweat.