This, they say, is evident in the cancellation of some road projects, challenges with cocoa mass spraying exercise, and replacement of free fertilizers with subsidized ones.

“Our dear farmers, it is sad to note that no provision was made for cocoa roads in the COCOBOD budget for 2017/18. This means that the cocoa roads which are deteriorating faster than anticipated due to the neglect of the NPP government, is going to get worse, making users (mostly farmers) wretchedly despondent and low-spirited to continue to labour for our dear nation,” said the Minority Spokesperson on Agric, Eric Opoku.

[contextly_sidebar id=”X5MQZoID6gg4VpRo5RcgKjPSjlkgXEvX”]Speaking at a press conference on happenings in the cocoa sector at Bodi in the Western Region on Monday, Mr. Opoku also accused the NPP government of sidelining perceived sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the distribution of fertilizers, claiming that farmers are plunged into difficulties.

“The programme is over politicized and perceived NDC sympathizers are left out in the distribution of chemicals.”

He further challenged government to come clean on how much government has realized so far in the cocoa stabilization fund.

“You may recall that in the last press conference, we made specific demands in respect of the Cocoa Stabilization Fund established in 2014 by the Mahama government. Even though attempts were made to respond to the issues raised, specific questions were not addressed. We are still interested in knowing how much is accumulated in the Cocoa Stabilization Fund and its impact on cocoa farmers in this critical period.”

On the subsidized fertilizer, Eric Opoku described it as broad day light robbery.

“On 21st June 2017, the Minority in Parliament held a press conference and drew the attention of the NPP Government to the fact that, the Ghanaian Cocoa farmer had indirectly paid for the fertilizers procured for the 2016/17 season, and therefore selling same to them amounts to broad day light robbery. We further explained that in Ghana, cocoa farmers are paid in kind and in cash, and by replacing the free fertilizer with a subsidized system, the NPP would inflict untold hardships on the cocoa farmer.”

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey & Duke M. Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Gov’t has neglected cocoa farmers – Minority appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Acknowledging the work of cocoa farmers, the President noted that “in their hundreds and hundreds of thousands, they worked to provide us the income with which we have built our nation’s infrastructure and its most important educational institutions.”

The President made the remark at an event at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi, on Monday, to mark World Cocoa Day.

The history of Ghana’s cocoa, he said, cannot be complete without mention of the legendary Ghanaian, Tetteh Quarshie, through whose efforts the cocoa industry was established and nurtured.

The President added that, the celebration of World Cocoa Day should be a day where Ghanaians remember those great patriots who led the agitation in the Gold Coast, in seeking just and fair rewards for the country’s cocoa farmers, an agitation that resulted eventually, in the establishment of the Cocoa Marketing Board.

Despite supplying nearly half of the world’s cocoa tonnage by 1935, 60 years after the arrival of Tetteh Quarshie from Fernando Po, President Akufo-Addo noted that, as was the order of those times, cocoa farmers in the Gold Coast did not have any say in the price paid for their products.

When world cocoa prices began to slump, most of the European firms, who purchased cocoa, formed a ‘Pool’ to agree on the price to be paid for cocoa.

“This ‘Pool’ was viewed with great suspicion by the farmers, and with the co-operation of chiefs, and advice from persons like Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah and the other nationalists, the farmers decided to boycott the ‘Pool’, and refused to sell their cocoa to them,” the President recounted.

He continued, “Dr. Danquah wrote an account of the boycott in a pamphlet titled ‘The Liberty of the Subject’. It was largely the agitation led by Dr. Danquah which brought about the appointment of the Nowell Commission in 1937. Indeed, the recommendations of the Nowell Commission eventually led to the establishment of the Cocoa Marketing Board in 1947.”

For his efforts, on 13^th July, 1946, President Akufo-Addo indicated that “the farmers presented Dr. Danquah with a Commendatory and Acclamatory Address at Nsawam for showing them the way to prosperity. They referred to him as Akuafo Kanea – The Light of the Farmers – for his role in seeking a better welfare for them.”

Seven years after the establishment of the Cocoa Marketing Board, the Hall Council of University College of the Gold Coast, now University of Ghana, decided to name the newly constructed Hall of Residence, Akuafo Hall, in appreciation of the generous gesture of the farmers of the then Gold Coast who, through the Cocoa Marketing Board, contributed considerable sums of money for the establishment of Akuafo Hall as a Hall of Residence.

These farmers also contributed to other structural works for the University College of the Gold Coast in a project which was spearheaded by Dr. Danquah.

“This is part of the monumental contribution of cocoa farmers to the development of our country, and I think its appropriate that, on this occasion, we recollect these facts, in order to give credit to those to whom credit is due,” President Akufo-Addo said.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Akufo-Addo celebrates cocoa farmers on World Cocoa Day appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The leadership of the union said it would continue its collaboration with Government, Cocoa partners, local and international stakeholders towards the elimination of child labour, and worst forms of child labour in all cocoa grown localities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9mL5FwUKjO0VD5kZb9U7TINCmLJlgjlk”]According to the leadership, the KKFU child labour unit through its five (5) year remediation plan, is committed to ensure that children at risk of entering into child labour are prevented, withdrawn and protected.

The union has in the course of the season intensified sensitization and awareness creation programmes through extensive radio discussions and community engagements on the consequences of child labour.

Acting Executive Secretary of the KKFU, Nelson Adubobour, speaking at the 23^rd Annual Delegates conference of the union in Kumasi, revealed that follow-up visits were done by the unit to forty seven (47) cocoa communities for a detailed sensitization and awareness creation.

He indicated that a watchdog machinery which is the community child protection committee has also been re-organized in 15 communities.

“KKFU in conjunction with Millennium Promise Alliance have developed a full fledged Project proposal titled “Kuapa Kooko Back To School Project.”

This project seeks to introduce innovative local interventions to increase access, enrollment, quality and retention of children in schools in at least 12 cocoa districts in Ghana. Plans are underway to seek funding opportunities for its implementation”.

Mr. Adubobour pledged the commitment of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Management of the KKFU to support a comprehensive healthcare delivery to all Kuapa Kooko farmers.

President of the KKFU, Fatima Ali, has encouraged young women in the country to venture into cocoa production.

According to her, the “Young Women in Cocoa Production” was initiated to empower young women, help them gain access to land, own a cocoa farm in order to be self-independent, grow domestic economy, enhance food security and have good standard of living in the future.”

Twenty-two (22) young women have participated with a total land size of twenty one (21) acres within four operational zones since the inception of the project.

Nine thousand and four (9,004) plantain suckers have been planted on all the fields.

Madam Ali said plans were underway to get a partner to support the project to enable its expansion.

–

By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The President of Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana Nana, Oboadie Bonsu alleged that over two thousand acres of cocoa farms have so far been destroyed to pave way for the cultivation of rubber, thus their apprehension and intended action.

He spoke to Citi News on the trend which he describes as unfortunate and a threat to their survival.

“They are lying to the farmers that cocoa is no more profitable. Rubber is more profitable than cocoa. We the concerned farmers are originally grassroots farmers who investigate; we are all over the country monitoring the cocoa in this country. There is no way government is going to get 1 million because cocoa plants are being destroyed. They are destroying cocoa plants each and every day.The demonstration is going to affect this country and it will tarnish the image of the President and it is not a small demonstration.”

NPP gov’t cheating cocoa farmers – Minority 

Last week, the Minority in Parliament accused government of offering cocoa farmers a terrible deal with its decision not increase the cocoa producer price due to a fall in world market prices.

The minority argued that, government must utilize the cocoa stabilization fund established by the previous government, to cushion farmers instead of the insensitive approach the COCOBOD intends to use.

Minority spokesperson on Agric and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku had said the decision not to increase the price was not based on concrete consultation.

“We wish to state that, the Chief Executive officer of COCOBOD is not clothed with the mandate to determine the producer price of cocoa for farmers. It is the duty of the producer price review committee to determine producer price of cocoa taking into consideration several factors including the economic conditions prevailing in the country, in order not to inflict untold hardships on our farmers. We are therefore urging the CEO of COCOBOD to allow the committee established in 1984 which has since discharged its duties effectively and efficiently, to continue its work without any form of usurpation,” he said.

Erick Opoku further noted that, the erstwhile Mahama government established a Cocoa Stabilization Fund with annual contributions “as a risk mitigation mechanism against declines in international cocoa prices.”

“The primary objective of the stabilization fund was to apply it to sustain the earnings of cocoa farmers and to cushion them, should the market price begin to decline. The recent decline in the price of cocoa internationally must therefore trigger the use of the stabilization fund to put smiles on the faces of our farmers.

He also said the NPP had replaced a promising Cocoa fertilization programme the Mahama government introduced and is thus ripping off cocoa farmers.

“Surprisingly, the NPP government on assumption of office has replaced the free fertilization programme with a programme under which farmers pay (GHc80) for a bag of fertilizer. This is unacceptable, we cannot sit aloof for the government to cheat our cocoa farmers.”

“Under the free fertilization programme, the cocoa farmer was entitled to 7.5 bags of granular fertilizer per every hectare of cocoa farm. So a farmer who has 100 hectares of cocoa farm was given 750 bags of fertilizer free of charge. Today under President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, the same farmer is to pay (GHc60,000) for the same 750 bags of fertilizer. This has exposed the Ghanaian cocoa farmer to intolerable levels of penury. We are therefore urging the NPP government to be sensitive to the plight of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer by halting the sale of the fertilizer and revert to the NDC’s free fertilization programme for the 2016/2017 cocoa season,” Eric Opoku added.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Cocoa farmers threaten demo over sale of farm lands appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The minority argued that, government must utilize the cocoa stabilization fund established by the previous government, to cushion farmers instead of the insensitive approach the COCOBOD intends to use.

Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahene Aidoo, few weeks ago stated that, government will not increase the producer price of cocoa and bonuses for the 2017/2018 crop cocoa season, following fallen prices of the commodity on the international market.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TUR1smcMbFkiTnVsGB73PlJ6PU5LUpsa”]But addressing the press on Wednesday, Minority spokesperson on Agric and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku, said the decision not to increase the price was not based on concrete consultation.

“We wish to state that, the Chief Executive officer of COCOBOD is not clothed with the mandate to determine the producer price of cocoa for farmers. It is the duty of the producer price review committee to determine producer price of cocoa taking into consideration several factors including the economic conditions prevailing in the country, in order not to inflict untold hardships on our farmers. We are therefore urging the CEO of COCOBOD to allow the committee established in 1984 which has since discharged its duties effectively and efficiently, to continue its work without any form of usurpation,” he added.

Erick Opoku further noted that, the erstwhile Mahama government established a Cocoa Stabilization Fund with annual contributions “as a risk mitigation mechanism against declines in international cocoa prices.”

“The primary objective of the stabilization fund was to apply it to sustain the earnings of cocoa farmers and to cushion them, should the market price begin to decline. The recent decline in the price of cocoa internationally must therefore trigger the use of the stabilization fund to put smiles on the faces of our farmers.”

Eric Opoku, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Asunafo South constituency, further challenged government to make public the amount that has accumulated so far under the stabilization fund.

“We are therefore encouraging the CEO of COCOBOD to make it public how much has accumulated in the fund and its impact on the farmers in this critical period,” he added.

He also said the NPP had replaced a promising Cocoa fertilization programme the Mahama government introduced and is thus ripping off cocoa farmers.

“Surprisingly, the NPP government on assumption of office has replaced the free fertilization programme with a programme under which farmers pay (GHc80) for a bag of fertilizer. This is unacceptable, we cannot sit aloof for the government to cheat our cocoa farmers.”

“Under the free fertilization programme, the cocoa farmer was entitled to 7.5 bags of granular fertilizer per every hectare of cocoa farm. So a farmer who has 100 hectares of cocoa farm was given 750 bags of fertilizer free of charge. Today under President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, the same farmer is to pay (GHc60,000) for the same 750 bags of fertilizer. This has exposed the Ghanaian cocoa farmer to intolerable levels of penury. We are therefore urging the NPP government to be sensitive to the plight of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer by halting the sale of the fertilizer and revert to the NDC’s free fertilization programme for the 2016/2017 cocoa season,” Eric Opoku added.

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey & Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post NPP gov’t is cheating cocoa farmers – Minority alleges appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The money will be made available by Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Company Limited, a subsidiary of Barry Callebaut – the world’s leading supplier of high quality chocolate and cocoa products.

Mr. Joshy Varkey, Managing Director of the Company, who announced this said a total of 15,039 farmers were registered for the UTZ certification but 639 could not make the mark.

The UTZ certification is a cocoa sustainability programme to promote socially and environmentally responsible cocoa production that meets the needs of both producers and market.

Mr. Varkey presented a dummy cheque for the amount at a farmers’ durbar held by the licensed cocoa buying company at Sefwi-Bekwai in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District.

He indicated that the welfare of the farmer was at the heart of the activities of his company and pledged to continue to assist them to adopt best practices to maintain the quality of the nation’s cocoa beans.

Doing this, he said, was the way forward to sustain the premium on Ghana’s cocoa.

Mr. Varkey re-echoed their unwavering commitment to the goal of lifting about 500,000 cocoa farmers out of poverty by year 2025.

This was being done through training, financing and the supply of improved planting materials to boost crop yield and returns.

Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the Western Regional Minister, called for the produce buying and chocolate companies to push for the payment of fair prices to the farmer on the world market.

He said this was in their own interest because that was the way to motivate them to keep their cocoa farms and enable the companies to stay in business.

He expressed discomfort with the situation where many farmers had remained poor and said that “ought not to be so, considering the labor and effort they put in to get quality beans for the chocolate companies”.

Dr. Afriyie warned that if this did not change some of them could abandon cocoa

Nana Mensah Konadu, the District Chief Farmer, who received the cheque, thanked the company for the strong support to cocoa farmers.

–

Source: GNA

The post Cocoa farmers to benefit from GHc1 million bonus appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“Cocoa prices are announced based on the world international price. It’s just not that you wake up tomorrow and announce that I will pay cocoa farmers this amount; it is based on the prevailing cocoa price at the international level. It is just one factor but it is key because if a tonne of cocoa is $2950 then somebody says that pay the cocoa farmers GH600 it doesn’t make sense. That is irrational, because it doesn’t make sense that you call on government to pay GHc600,” he added.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TwSeag1rxcTFechAUvN1Ju4m7CKdSOSQ”]Mr. Ahi who is the Deputy Minister of Water and Resources made the comment after a press conference held by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the issue.

Some cocoa farmers following the increment announced on October 1, 2016 complained that the GHc475 was too small.

But speaking to Citi News, Mr. Ahi said the NDC government is only implementing a policy that was also used by the NPP in determining cocoa prices.

“If you multiply 600 by 16 bags that is a tonne, you are getting about GHc9600 but the world market price even if it is $2950 and even if the exchange rate is even GhC4, you are even going to get GHc11,000. But that is not how cocoa is calculated in this country. What we have done is the same format NPP adopted when they were in office. Over the years, cocoa farmers have been paid based on net FOB price. A tonne of cocoa at the international market is $2950 that is not the benchmark successive governments have used to pay cocoa farmers. Because of uncertainty in terms of price at the international level, what they do is that when the benchmark it below the international market price. So this year for instance they used $2470 and what happen is that they deduct certain support programmes to cocoa farmers before the price is announced. That is what NPP used.”

Farmers complaining are NPP people

Sampson Ahi further accused the NPP of rallying its supporters to mount pressure on government saying it is not a representation of the cocoa farming population in the country.

“The farmers are aware that for cocoa roads, the amount is taken from the cocoa. President Kufuor started cocoa roads; he deducted certain amount from whatever he got at the international level before prices are announced. He also started mass spraying, they deducted it before the prices were announced, so we are not doing anything different. Afriyie-Akoto is just organizing some NPP people and they are talking because farmers are grateful that President Mahama has added GHc50.”

Don’t blame Akufo-Addo

The Minority Spokesperson on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr. Owusu Akoto-Afriyie who addressed the press accused the NDC of spreading wicked lies in cocoa growing areas that government paid low producer price of GHc475 because Nana Akufo-Addo failed to sign an agreement with international banks for government to get money to enable them offer a high producer price.

Dr. Akoto-Afriyie further entreated cocoa farmers to dismiss what he said was the vile propaganda  against Akufo-Addo saying government wass using the propaganda to cover up its failures to cocoa farmers.

“…government could not go beyond the GHc475; it has nothing to do with Nana Akufo-Addo. The executive wing of government is in charge of cocoa policy exclusively and no opposition member has any influence or whatsoever on that, not even us here as minority in Parliament, we have no influence on how much the government decides to give to producers for their produce. The [Kwaku] Ananse story is meant to throw dust into the eyes of our poor cocoa farmers.”

–

By: Godwin A.Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Calls for additional increase in cocoa price ‘irrational’ – Sampson Ahi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Deputy Minister of Finance, Ato Forson Cassiel, announced an 11.76 percentage increase in the producer price for the 2016/2017 farming season, at the national celebration of the International Cocoa Day, at Tepa, in the Ahafo Ano North District of the Ashanti Region on Saturday.

The increase, which takes immediate effect, means farmers will receive about ¢475 for every 64kg bag of cocoa beans.

But some cocoa farmers in Tepa, who were present at the event, told Citi News, the new prices did not meet their expectation.

According to them, they expected an increase from the current ¢425.00 per 64kg bag to an amount of over ¢500.00.

They said the new price still meant their cost will outweigh their income.

The Deputy Minister however assured the farmers that government will continue the Stabilization Fund with annual contributions from the FoB price, as a risk mitigation mechanism against declines in international cocoa prices.

He said government will “continue with the fund so as to be able to cushion farmers, should the world market price begin to decline as we move into the future.”

“Last year, the average FoB per tonne of cocoa sold was US$2,900, and this year the average FoB is $2,950 per tonne. The producer price of cocoa has been reviewed from ¢6,800 per tonne to ¢7,600 per tonne for 2016/2017, representing 11.76%. A 64kg cocoa bag therefore shall be sold at ¢475, up from the ¢425 ker bag representing 77.45% of the net FoB.”

The theme for the celebration of the 2016 World Cocoa day in |Ghana was, “Transforming the cocoa sector for economic growth- The role of the youth”.

–

By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Cocoa farmers unhappy with ‘meagre’ hike in producer price appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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Show details

– Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor speaks to us exclusively about his Tottenham form (with Dotun Tenubi)

– We hear from Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah as he marks two years in charge (analysis with BBC’s Michael Oti-Adjei and Power FM’s Christopher Opoku)

–  Then we take an extensive look at Algeria’s preparations for Brazil 2014 (with Maher Mezahi). Plus the usual dose of ‘Africans Abroad’.

– And who is the winner of our Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini weekly quiz? You can win too! (click here)

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Presented by Gary Al-Smith and produced by Nathan Quao/Gary Al-Smith for Citi FM & supersport.com. Aired: April 11, 2014.

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