Cocoa stealing in general is on the increase in the Asunafo district of Brong-Ahafo. Ripe cocoa pods, fermented as well as dried beans are all being stolen at random.
The stealing is being attributed to the recent increase in the producer price of cocoa and the proliferation of cocoa buying agencies in the country. Now, a relatively small quantity of cocoa beans earns the owner a handsome amount of money.
Two queenmothers, Nana Konadu Pramang, queen-mother of Kontanase and resident at Nkasiem, and Nana Akoah Fantehemaa of Nkasiem disclosed these to Daily Guide at Achirensua at the week-end.
They mentioned towns and villages worst hit as Nkasiem, Yaw Kra, Kokofu Nkwanta, Dadiesoaba and Ahirensua.
They toldDaily Guide that some individuals with hanging scales move from villages to village to buy cocoa beans.
According to the queen-mothers, this situation has given rise to unprecedented cocoa stealing in the area, adding that the theft is being carried out at various stages of harvesting, fermenting and drying.
They alleged that farmers have to lay ambush to prevent their cocoa pod and beans from being stolen.
Nana Koramang stated that about a week ago, a cocoa farmer went to his farm at night to keep watch over his cocoa only to see a gang of thieves in a car heading toward his farm.
She said the caretaker, though holding a gun, chose to cough to see the reaction of the thieves, and after hearing the cough, the thieves took to their heels, leaving behind headloads of stolen cocoa beans they were going to carry away in their waiting car.
The Queenmothers, who said they had been victims of the cocoa beans theft, maintained that the government?s mass cocoa spraying exercise had yielded fruitful results as many farmers who benefited from the exercise had the cocoa farms yielding much fruits.
According to them, one farmer at Nkaseim had to fall on the assistance of 85 men to enable him to crack his first harvest. While commending the government for the mass cocoa spraying exercise and to urge it to continue, the Queenmothers also appealed to the government to find a solution to the incidence of the theft by regulating the numerous cocoa buying firms which have sprang up in cocoa producing areas.
