Over 1m farmers to benefit from ECOM’s soap distribution

Ecom Ghana Limited, one of Ghana’s leading licenced buying companies, in partnership with COCOBOD has donated one million two hundred thousand carbolic soap-bars to over one million COCOBOD-registered farming communities across the country.

This is to help farmers in the COCOBOD-registered farming communities in all cocoa-growing regions of Ghana, which include the Ashanti, Western North, Southern, Central, Brong Ahafo and Eastern Regions, to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic and save lives by washing hands frequently with soap under running water as recommended by the Ghana Health Service.

The Country Head of ECOM, Muhammadu Muzzammil who made the presentation on behalf of the company, explained that management could not overlook these difficult times the world is experiencing. He added that ECOM Ghana has a strong belief in creating prosperity within rural communities, and therefore must provide farmers with the tools they need to protect their health.

According to him, ECOM Ghana normally works with about 150,000 farmers; but management of ECOM believe that the wider farming community is in need during these difficult times – hence this partnership with the COCOBOD to reach out to almost all farmers in all cocoa-growing areas of the country to benefit from this ECOM Ghana initiative.

“The washing of hands has proven to be one of the most effective ways to stop spread of the coronavirus; hence, we are trying to reach out to as many cocoa farmers as possible,” he added

The CEO of COCBOD, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo who received the donation on behalf of the farmers and government of Ghana, expressed his profound appreciation to ECOM Ghana for paying GH¢2.4million to provide Ghanaian farmers with 1.2 million units of medicated soap and supporting government’s prevention methods in the fight against spread of the Coronavirus.

“We all must follow the advice given by health professionals and urge farmers and their families to wash their hands as many times as possible during the day under running water where possible; as well as eating right and exercising to boost our immune system to fight the coronavirus,” he stressed.

ECOM Ghana currently works with about 150,000 farmers on various entrepreneurship initiatives which are geared toward helping to build rural prosperity. The company provides advisory services, training and support to farmers on productivity, quality, certification, crop diversification, environmental and other broader social issues.

ECOM Ghana actively invests in farmer capacity building, to move them from subsistence farming to farming as a business through coaching on best practices. The company also engages in additional livelihood projects that support income diversity.

Through its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, ECOM Ghana has provided infrastructure developments in Health, access to Potable Water and Education. The company has refurbished seven hospitals and thirty-five schools, installed over 300 boreholes, distributed 50 computer classrooms, and invested GH¢1.4million with the Otumfuo Agro ECOM mobile learning platform, providing ICT training to rural kids.

ECOM Ghana is a long-term trade partner to the Ghana COCOBOD. Its subsidiaries, Agro ECOM Ghana Limited and Unicom Commodities Ghana Ltd. – in partnership with COCOBOD, operate the largest sustainability programme in Ghana to provide traceable and sustainable cocoa from Ghanaian farmers to chocolate manufacturers in Europe and the USA.

It also provides High Quality Agro Chemicals and Farm implements at affordable prices to enhance farm productivity through its Company Crop Doctor Limited.