Joseph Boahen Aidoo
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has reaffirmed its commitment to continuously work towards sustaining the cocoa industry in spite of the challenges facing it.
The company’s reassurance comes in the wake of recent media publications making rounds that Ghana’s cocoa sector was on the verge of collapse.
Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, who dismissed the claims during a media engagement in Accra said though COCOBOD acknowledges the challenges facing the sector, including climate change, pests, diseases, smuggling, and illegal mining among others, such claims were false and were not a reflection of the facts on the ground.
He said, “We acknowledge the challenges facing the cocoa sector, including climate change, pests, diseases, smuggling, and illegal mining however, we take a serious exception to allegations that the sector will collapse in five years. This is an exaggeration and does not reflect the facts on the ground”.
He said as part of efforts by COCOBOD to help sustain the sector, it has implemented various initiatives to address challenges such as pests and diseases and also introduced rehabilitation programmes aimed at replanting cocoa trees affected by diseases and unproductive ones.
According to him, about 40, 000 hectares of cocoa farms across the country have also been rehabilitated successfully and was ready to be handed over to the beneficiary farmers.
He said many farms were also at various stages of the rehabilitation process and where expected to add more than 200,000 tonnes to the nation’s annual production output in the next few years.
He, therefore, described such negative reports circulating in the media as not only inaccurate but an attempt to disregard the extensive efforts and investments made by COCOBOD to secure the future of the industry.
“Recognizing the impact of climate change and the unstable rainfall on cocoa production, COCOBOD has been actively promoting agro forestry practices that integrate trees and crops on the same farmland,” he said.
That approach, the Chief Executive explained, does not only improve soil health and biodiversity but also provides shade for cocoa trees that would help mitigate the effects of climate change while actively encouraging farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices that enhance resilience and productivity.
Mr. Aidoo further stated that COCOBOD has also strengthened its extension services by increasing the number of extension officers who provide technical support and advice to farmers.
He indicated that the work of the officers who play a crucial role in educating farmers on best practices, new technologies, and the latest research findings has led to improved farming practices and higher productivity across the sector.
He said his outfit was also working with international partners to ensure the traceability of cocoa from farm to market to ensure that Ghana’s cocoa is produced under ethical and sustainable conditions, to meet the growing global demand for responsibly sourced cocoa in order to secure premium prices for the farmers.
Mr. Aidoo stated that COCOBOD was also advancing programmes that focus on responsible cocoa production, fair trade, environmental conservation and payment of remunerative farm-gate prices to farmers.
Touching on some international partnerships, he said the Cote d’ Ivoir- Ghana Cocoa Initiative is coordinating efforts aimed at ensuring improved and sustained livelihoods for cocoa farmers in the two countries while reiterating its commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the cocoa sector.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah