Cocoa farmers appeal to COCOBOD to ensure bonus payments

Duakwa (C/R), Aug. 18, GNA - Cocoa farmers at Duakwa and surrounding villages in the Agona municipality, on Monday reiterated their appeal to the COCOBOD to ensure that moneys released to the licensed cocoa buying companies in respect of bonuses due farmers, reach them.

A farmer, Opanin Kwaku Mensah, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Duakwa, stated that most of the farmers had not received their bonuses for cocoa beans sold at Duakwa for the 2005/06 main cocoa crop season.

He said though the system for the disbursement of bonus was straight forward; the purchasing clerks of the various societies (sheds), made it cumbersome for the farmers, especially the illiterates ones to understand the process for payment. Opanin Mensah alleged that due to the lack of understanding of the system, some farmers have been cheated and given only part of their bonuses. He appealed to government to ensure that the farmers were paid their due.