Nana Amo Adade Boamah, Managing Director of Federated Commodities has assured cocoa farmers that the Government has provided all the necessary inputs required by spraying gangs for the spraying of their farms. He also asserted that the spraying is meant for all cocoa farmers irrespective of the Licensed Buying Company (LBC) one sold one's crops to.
Nana Boamah, who was speaking at a Farmers' Education Forum organized by Federated Commodities at Fosukrom in the Brong Ahafo Region called on members of the spraying gangs to tackle their work with dispatch and conscientiously if the Government is to realize its aim of revamping the cocoa industry.
He urged farmers to reciprocate the Government's efforts to improve their lot by desisting from smuggling. He advised that they should not sell their crop to itinerant buyers who go round with hanging scales because such buyers end up smuggling the produce. He encouraged the farmers to sell to reputable licensed buying companies and to insist on their sales being recorded in their passbooks. He explained that the passbooks facilitate the recording of production levels of their areas as well as the payment of bonuses and obtaining scholarships for their wards.
The Managing Director said Federated Commodities has provided matching funds for the Akuafo cheques. He appealed to the farmers to bear with the banks as they go through the restructuring to remove the bottlenecks that occasionally delay the honouring of cheques.
Nana Amo Boamah warned the purchasing staff that his administration would hand over anyone indulging in the cheating of farmers or any malfeasance to face the law.
Mr. Odei-Tetteh, an agronomist of WIENCO advised the farmers that the only way to increase their produce is to adhere strictly to good agronomical practices.
