Chief Farmer appeals to Cocobod to pay bonuses

Nana Ampofo Asamoah, a Chief Farmer of Amanase near Suhum in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District, has expressed concern about delay and mode of payment of the 2010-2011 bonuses to cocoa farmers.

He therefore called on the COCOBOD to release the second tranche of the bonuses to the farmers to enable them to maintain their farms.

The payment should have been made between April and May.

Nana Asamoah, who made the appeal at a meeting with cocoa farmers at Ayeh-Kokooso at the weekend, urged the Government to reconsider the two-tranche payment of cocoa bonuses and make it one-time payment. “This will make the bonus more lucrative and attractive to farmers,” he said.

He also appealed to the Government to introduce more innovative and attractive incentives that would motivate the youth into the sector to make the industry more viable and increase the nation’s production capacity.

Mr. Joshua Odum, a Purchasing Clerk of Kuapa Kokoo Limited, assigned to the area, called on the farmers to allow the fermentation period to travel the seven days before drying the beans.

He said this would prevent the beans from turning purple and not becoming thoroughly dried.**