Government to support cocoa farmers

Koforidua, July 24, GNA - The government is holding discussions with the Agricultural Development Bank and other organizations for the provision of decent houses and vehicles on hire purchase to cocoa farmers.

This was announced by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu in a speech read on his behalf at the launching of the first Ghana Cocoa Farmers Newspaper at Koforidua.

The newspaper, which is the first to be established in the cocoa industry, is a bi-annual newspaper published by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in conjunction with Cadbury Schweppes and Cabi Bioscience of UK. The first copy of the newspaper which was launched by the Government Spokesman on Governance, Mr Frank Agyekum was purchased by the COCOBOD for five million cedis while the second copy was purchased by the management of Capital View Hotel of Koforidua for 10 million cedis.

Mr Baah-Wiredu, said the Government, the COCOBOD and the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment were seriously tackling the issue of exploitation of children on cocoa farms in the country.

He advised the publishers of the newspaper, which is to be distributed free of charge to farmers, to publish some of the stories in the local language to enable more farmers to read the newspaper. The Acting Executive Director of the CRIG, Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah said information reaching his Institute indicated that after the introduction of the unified extension agricultural service in the country, the expected information from research institutions was not reaching cocoa farmers.

He explained that the Ghana Cocoa Farmers Newspaper was, therefore, established to ensure that the right information from research institutions reached the cocoa farmers to help to sustain the cocoa industry.

The Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Mr Isaac Osei said Ghana would earn about one billion dollars from the cocoa industry in 2006. He said this year's cocoa spraying exercise would be against both capsid and swollen shoot, adding that all the necessary agricultural chemicals for the exercise were already in the country. Mr Osei said because of the leading role of the cocoa industry in the economy of the country, it was expected that the most effective methods were used to get the required information to the cocoa farmers. He said apart from the newspaper, local FM radios would be used to explain various news items that would be published in the newspaper, adding that the newspaper, which is expected to be distributed free to cocoa farmers, was to serve as reference document for cocoa farmers on ways of increasing their productivity.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah commended CRIG for the launching of the Ghana Cocoa Farmers Newspaper to keep them informed of modern and sustainable cocoa growing practices. 24 July 06