Joseph Boahen Aidoo
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) says the company is working with relevant state institutions to review existing laws on destruction of cocoa trees especially by illegal miners popularly called ‘Galamsey’ operators.
Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, who made this known at the Ministry of Information’s ‘Meet the Press’ series yesterday in Accra said the review has become necessary due to the indiscriminate felling of cocoa trees for mining purposes.
He said the review was also in line with the Economic Plant Protection Act 1979 which prohibits anybody from destroying a cocoa tree with varied sanctions which are not deterrent enough.
“We are also reviewing the compensations which are very low. The rate is about 80 cedis per tree which is a peanut for a farmer who could earn eight to ten bags of beans from a cocoa tree while depriving the famer of his livelihood,” he added
He also described cocoa as a strategic commodity that should be guarded jealously given the amount of foreign exchange earned from the export of cocoa.
He, therefore, appealed to stakeholders to ensure the protection of cocoa and other national commodity that has helped sustain the economy over the years.
He said COCOBOD is also committed to supporting farmers, enhancing yields, and improving livelihoods with new cocoa financing model, cocoa management system, cocoa traceability system, sustainability and climate smart cocoa production initiatives.
Other interventions, he mentioned, include farmer income support such as living income differentials, payment of remunerative producer prices and cocoa farmers’ pension scheme as well as the creation of a comprehensive farmer data base.
He indicated that the government also rehabilitated several cocoa farms by adopting compensation based support of GH¢1000 stipend each to land owners and farmers, hybrid cocoa seedlings, shade trees and intensive extension services.
COCOBOD Deputy Chief Executive in charge of finance and administration, Ray Ankrah, for his part said the syndicated loan contract has also been paid including a facility contracted from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the productivity enhancement programme to support enhance production of cocoa in the country.
He said cost rationalisation, reducing quasi fiscal expenditure has also started yielding positive results coupled with the company’s profitability of GH¢ 2.3 billion in 2022 and 2023 year as the company hopes to sustained profitability in subsequent years.
According to him, COCOBOD has made significant strides in productivity, digitisation, sustainability, and farmer welfare since 2017 while its programmes continue to revamp Ghana’s cocoa and shea sectors.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah