Cocoa farmers weep over deplorable roads

Cocoa farmers at Amansie West District in Ashanti region are calling on authorities of Ghana Cocoa Board and for that matter government to give a befitting construction to roads linking the various cocoa growing communities in the district.

Scores of farmers who spoke to THE PRESS RADIO are contemplating fears that the dilapidated nature of road networks which characterises the district plus the onset of the rainy season may adversely affect the conveyance of cocoa beans from farms and producing communities to the various marketing centers in the country.

Speaking to THE PRESS RADIO in an exclusive interview, Mr. Ibrahim Kassim, President for Amansie West Cocoa Farmers Association who doubles as the 2017 district best cocoa farmer disclosed that many cocoa farmers in the district become highly stranded anytime there is heavy downpour since roads linking their farms become completely impassable. Thousands of tonnes of Cocoa beans and foodstuff.

as a result according him are left stucked in farms and producing communities for days since drivers refuse to ply the roads let alone to access their(drivers) service.

Mr. Ibrahim Kassim underscored communities that are sometimes high hit as Kaniago, Emmemu, Dumposo, Abiram etc.

Delays emanating from farmers inability to cart the beans to selected marketing areas for sale due to the bad nature of the roads he said sometimes causes the spoilage of some beans.

Mr. Ibrahim Kassim stressed in his statement that the status-quo demands an urgent intervention from government as in the construction of the roads else government will loose revenue from cocoa production in the district.