Release lands for cocoa farming – Mahama to Volta chiefs

One of the major hindrances to getting young people into cocoa farming in the Volta region is the lack of lands, President John Mahama has said.

He has, therefore, called on the chiefs of the region to make their lands available to young people who express interest in cocoa farming.

“We are revamping cocoa production in this area [Volta Region], so, if we say there is unemployment, one of the major hindrances to getting young people work to do is the issue of land. Land is difficult to come by,” he said on Volta Star radio in the Volta region Thursday April 21, during his ‘Accounting to the People’ tour.

According to him, the perception is that the Volta region no longer produces cocoa, and, so, COCOBOD is revamping cocoa production in the area.

“As we came down the road, they (COCOBOD) have set up several cocoa seedling-producing facilities and they have employed young people to grow the seedlings. And they are giving these seedlings to farmers free of charge,” he said.

Mr Mahama noted that government was providing all the inputs to aid cocoa production in the region. “The seedlings are free, the agricultural extension officers, who will come and help you peg your farm and plant your seedlings do not charge anything, and all the inputs you need for cocoa growing are free, all the fertilisers are free, and, so, the only hindrance to the young people taking advantage of this programme government is implementing, is land.”

He appealed to the chiefs of the region to release land to youth for cocoa farming purposes, adding that cocoa farming was lucrative.

“If the chiefs will release land, so that young people can grow cocoa, you will be surprised how much income they can earn. I have colleague friends, who work in the public services, but at the weekend go to their cocoa farms because they earn more from their cocoa farms than they do from their salaries,” stated Mr Mahama.