The Aboso Goldfields Limited (AGL) in the Western Region through the Gold Fields Foundation is investing over US$ 80,000 this year to support cocoa farmers in the catchment area of the mine with the needed inputs to help boost production.
Since the inception of the initiative dubbed ‘Cocoa Input Support programme’ in 2018, the mining company has invested over US$ 265,000 to provide free cocoa inputs, including fertilizers, to the farmers.
The objectives of the programme is to select 120 cocoa farmers annually and support them with the needed inputs to boost annual cocoa production of beneficiary farmers by at least three per cent.
It is also to help sustain employment in the area of cocoa production and establish the fact that mining can co-exist with farming.
The Acting General Manager of Abosso Goldfields Limited,
Catherine Kuupol Kuutor,disclosed this on Thursday at a brief ceremony to give some inputs to beneficiary farmers at Huni Valley.
She revealed that since the inception of the programme, 600 host community cocoa farmers with a combined farm size of 1,200 acres have benefitted from the initiative.
She said, this year, despite the global challenges with the supply of agrochemicals, Gold Fields Foundation is providing the cocoa farmers with fertilizers, ‘Akate Power’ insecticides, and mist blower machines.
It was done in consultation with the leadership of the Damang Mine Consultative Farmers’ Association (DMCFA).
She disclosed that each of the nine catchment communities will receive a minimum of six machines to be used by all cocoa farmers and not just those who are beneficiaries of the programme.
“This approach is to encourage co-operative farming and farmers’ interdependence for technical knowledge”, she noted.
She added that each beneficiary farmer would receive support for three consecutive years before exiting the programme.
She noted that an assessment undertaken on beneficiaries from the first batch showed 33 per cent increment in production and seven per cent increase in income of the beneficiaries.
“The second batch of beneficiaries selected in the year 2019 exited last year. This has made room for an addition of a new batch of 120 farmers this year’.
Madam Kuutor revealed that in 2021, new inputs including insecticides and fungicides were introduced and added to fertilizers for distribution to beneficiary farmers.
She was excited that about 36 per cent of the farmers who will be receiving inputs this year are women.
“This goes to support the Sustainable Development Goal 5 which aims at achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls”, she noted.
The Acting Vice President, Gold Fields, in charge of Operations in West Africa, Michiel Van DER Merwe, praised farmers for their immense contributions towards the country’s economy growth despite the challenges they faced.
Divisional Chief of Bosomtwe, Nana Kwabena Amponsah IV, advised the beneficiaries to use the inputs to improve cocoa production in the host communities.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Huni Valley