News
ELECTRONIC WEIGHING SCALES ARE THE WAY FORWARD – COCOBOD CEO.
The Ghana Cocoa Board has always reiterated the need for farmers to benefit immensely from their cocoa produce more than any other entity. According to them, not even the state should enjoy more direct revenues from cocoa than the actual farmers who toil day in and day out to ensure cocoa production in the country.
During a stake holders meeting today in close doors, Dr. Joseph Aidoo told those who have convened that it is very painful to get access to very insignificant amount of money from what one has really suffered to gather as farm produce. He told those present that out of the 22 cocoa producing countries of the world, Ghana and Cotê d’Ivoire are the giant producers of cocoa worldwide. With this, he further stressed the need to lobby for a local chocolate manufacturing plant in West Africa where the cocoa beans are readily available for more revenue to be accrued to inure to the benefit of these two countries.
Touching on the daily cheating of cocoa farmers by buyers and clerks, he pointed out that the only ultimate solution to this menace is the importation and use of electronic weighing scales or machines which cannot be manipulated in order to cheat the poor farmers.
He further stated that there are plans underway to encourage more farmers to desist from cutting down their cocoa trees to plant cashew nuts instead. He suggested that new farmlands be acquired to plant cashews instead of destroying cocoa plants to pave way for cashew plantation.
C. A. Asante
Freelance Writer
Ghana – W/A
