Morgan Ayawine addressing delegates at the conference
The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) of Ghana, together with the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the Trades Union Congress, TUC (Ghana), has hinted at seeking an audience with President John Dramani Mahama over the current state of the cocoa sector.
Speaking at the Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the National Consultative Council of the Quality Control Company Employees Union, the General Secretary of the ICU, Brother Morgan Ayawine, said COCOBOD is confronted with several challenges, including the encroachment of illegal mining activities on cocoa farms.
“Ghana was once the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans, both in quantity and quality. Regrettably, we lost this enviable position to Côte d’Ivoire some years ago, and there are even indications that another country is positioning itself to overtake Ghana. This reality must serve as a wake-up call to all stakeholders in the cocoa industry to redouble our efforts and raise our standards,” he said.
Brother Ayawine stressed that despite these difficulties, stakeholders must not throw in the towel, warning that doing so would undermine the very foundation of the country’s economy.
He also called on the Quality Control Company within the cocoa production chain to maintain quality as the defining hallmark of Ghanaian cocoa, insisting that it is an aspect that must never be compromised.
He emphasised that the company’s role is pivotal, as it determines Ghana’s reputation and competitiveness on the global cocoa market.
Meanwhile, the newly elected National Union Chairman, Paapa Amankwah Sarpong, said the challenges confronting the cocoa sector could no longer be ignored, as the once-thriving industry is experiencing an unprecedented decline.
“The destructive wave of illegal mining, which is popularly known as galamsey, has polluted our rivers, degraded fertile lands, and destroyed cocoa farms that once stood as symbols of national pride. This harsh reality is affecting productivity, revenue, and ultimately the capacity of management to meet our expectations in full. We will protest, not with anger, but with wisdom, dialogue, and unity, when the need arises,” he said.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke