Joseph Boahen Aidoo speaking at the launch of the National Cocoa Day in Accra
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on October 1, 2019 announce the new price of cocoa for the 2019/2020 cocoa season.
The announcement would be made at the climax of the 2019 National Cocoa Day celebration in Bono Region.
It will see farm-gate prices of cocoa upped by 5.2 per cent, GH¢8,000 ($1,523.81) per tonne from GH¢7,600 last season.
This will be the first increase in four years, following strong sales of export contracts to chocolate makers and cocoa houses.
Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, made this known at the launch of the 2019 National Cocoa Day in Accra themed, ‘Sustainable Cocoa Production for Wealth and Health’.
“Currently, in Ghana, our cocoa sector is undergoing transformation and we believe that the cocoa day gives us the opportunity to see how this transformation journey is going,” he said.
The choice of Sunyani for the celebration, he said, was strategic as the region has produced 11 national best cocoa farmers out of which eight are still alive. Also, the region remains one of the best three cocoa districts in Ghana.
Activities
The celebration of the National Cocoa Day starts on Friday, 27th September, 2019, with ahealth talk with members of the Muslim community, followed by a health walk through some principal streets of Sunyani on Saturday 28, September 2019.
An exhibition would be held at the Jubilee Park to give stakeholders the opportunity to sell approved agro inputs to farmers.
On Sunday, COCOBAD staff will fellowship with selected churches in the Sunyani municipality to share the nutritional and health benefits of cocoa.
A youth forum would be held at the Sunyani Technical University to create awareness on the business opportunities in the cocoa sector, followed by an all night time with national best cocoa farmers.
“The grand durbar will be held on 1st October, 2019 at the Jubilee Park where President Akufo-Addo will be delivering the key note address,” he said.
Nana Johnson Mensah, Western South Regional chief farmer and COCOBOD member, has called on stakeholders especially the media, to support the National Cocoa Day to make it successful.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri