Cocoa farmers call for the introduction of mobile banks.

Dadieso (W/R) Feb. 4, GNA - Cocoa farmers in the Aowin-Suaman District have appealed to the government to introduce mobile banks and also streamline the Akuafo Cheque system of paying for their produce to make the system more beneficial to them.

They said although the system has many advantages, travelling over long distances to the district capitals or other towns to cash these cheques posed a lot of problems.

"We are made to spend a lot of time at the banks, or sometimes asked to go and come the following day", Madam Akua Dansoa, a farmer of Fawokabra told the Ghana News Agency.

She disclosed that because of these and other problems, many farmers continue to receive cash instead of cheques from, especially purchasing clerks of private cocoa buying companies for their produce.

Mr. Kofi Boahen, a cocoa-purchasing clerk, explained that due to economic hardships, farmers demand financial assistance from these clerks and prefer, cash payments for their produce to ensure prompt payment of these loans.