Michael Owusu Manu at Citi FM’s Operation Feed Yourself forum on “Opportunities in Cocoa production sector”.

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Speaking before the people of Bibiani at a durbar on Monday, he said his young government was already fulfilling its pledges despite the economic mess inherited by his administration.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jn4RroOvblyzX6HogzyWEQtWpTKli0v7″]According to President Akufo-Addo, “when we came into office, we were met with huge debts and no money. It is for this reason that we put in place the appropriate measures to strengthen our monetary system, so the development we promised the people can be met.”

This administration’s first budget has ensured that the country’s finances have been placed on a solid footing to ensure the fulfillment of the promises, he said.

President targets 1.5 million tonnes cocoa production

Touching on the dwindling fortunes of the cocoa sector, President Akufo-Addo noted that the policies and programmes instituted by former President John Agyekum Kufuor ensured that the cocoa production hit 1 million tonnes in 2010/2011.

However, cocoa production has since declined, with the 2015/2016 crop season recording a production of 778,000 metric tonnes.

The President has however set a target of 1.5 million tonnes for his administration.

“My government is going to increase cocoa production again to 1 million tonnes, and move it to 1.5 million tonnes in the course of my mandate. We will also ensure that cocoa farmers gain their pride of place in our society. We will make the cultivation of cocoa a source of gainful employment once again,” he said.

The 1-District-1-Factory policy, President Akufo-Addo noted, will be rolled out in the course of August, and the construction of the Western Railway lines will also begin shortly. with these two initiatives creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

He added that these two initiatives are expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Addressing the ECOWAS Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin noted that there was an invitation on the table to Cote d’Ivoire in this regard, with the potential to give the two countries more leverage, as far as the pricing of cocoa is concerned.

[contextly_sidebar id=”CNrI7MTC7ob0Ed8uH2sYy4z4Zx0C0Dkw”]“… if Cote d’Ivoire is ready to accept an invitation by Ghana for them to share a common platform in controlling prices, because it is obvious that the international market, which is the user of cocoa, drives and determines cocoa prices and the poor farmers in our respective countries who are supposed to get the best in terms of value and in effects are shortchanged.”

“So I am quite sure that if Cote d’Ivoire is able to respond positively to such an invitation in Ghana, both countries can have a better situation than before, so over to Cote d’Ivoire,” the Effutu MP stated.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin was speaking after being sworn in as a member of the ECOWAS Parliament after MP for Akuapem South, Osei Bonsu Amoah, resigned after his deputy ministerial appointment because members of the Executive cannot be part of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire had been taking measures to address the price volatility of cocoa with the two countries, in April 2017, agreeing to coordinate their production strategies during a Cocoa and Coffee Council meeting in Abidjan.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the Coffee and Cocoa Council of Ivory Coast signed an agreement in this regard.

Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are the largest producers of cocoa in the world, accounting for over 60 percent of the global share, but the wavering price volatility has not boded well for the two countries, as they currently contend with a 10-year low in prices.

In the 2015/2016 production year, Ivory Coast produced 1.7 million metric tonnes of cocoa, with Ghana producing about 840,000 tonnes.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Aside the regular challenges the cocoa sector faces from pests and diseases, activities of small scale illegal miners popularly has emerged to be a major threat to the country’s total cocoa output.

[contextly_sidebar id=”5H7baPKo7FhKKyBM2MMoPQUvmAFDJbIQ”]Though President Mahama did not speak to the threat of illegal mining, he cited government’s free seedling distribution as one of the measures put in place to improve yields during an address to his National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithful in the Fanteakwa North constituency during his campaign tour.

The NDC flagbearer assured that his government wanted to “cocoa farmers to make more money. That is why we are embarking on the free seedling distribution.”

“So if you know you cocoa trees are over grown and unproductive, you would have to cut them down and go for new seedlings. They are absolutely free,” President Mahama said in advise to the farmers.

Thus, “if you visit the seedling bank, your farm will be measured and you will receive free seedlings just like that,” he added.

850,000 metric tonnes of cocoa targeted for 2015/2016

Earlier in 2016, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) said it was optimistic it would achieve its targeted output for the 2015/2016 crop season with almost five months to the end of the crop season.

COCOBOD at the beginning of the 2015/2016 crop season set a target of 850,000 metric tonnes. This was up from the 800,000 metric tonnes it set the previous year.

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur had a more optimistic projection as he assured that government intended to increase cocoa production from  to 1 million tons this cocoa season.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the group, galamsey activities also pose a major danger to Ghana’s cash crop-cocoa, which has been a significant contributor to economic growth and foreign earnings for the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lJ9SnUCCMUqOX9F5Lbck4SI7K8ZhnWGi”]A statement released by the group said that , “Another concern is the proximity of illegal and small-scale mining to cocoa plantations, as heavy metal poisoning and pollution are degrading the land and affecting freshwater and underground aquifers.”

More alarming it pointed out that weather patterns in sub-sahara Africa is getting worse making it difficult for the region to achieve its food production target, hence the need to stop degradation of the environment through the activities of galamsey.

“The proliferation of illegal mining also takes an environmental toll, negatively affecting the cocoa segment,” it said.

It added that while most of Ghana’s agricultural output was rain-fed, with the drought impacting production across the sector more broadly, cocoa was particularly vulnerable to the harmattan, which dried seeds and eroded yields.

Ghana’s cocoa production fell short of industry forecasts for the 2015/16 growing season.

“The latest result is also well below Ghana’s 2014/15 cocoa output, which totaled 730,000 tonnes, below COCOBOD’s forecast of 1m tonnes, due to an outbreak of black pod disease and adverse weather conditions that year”, the statement said.

It said the low 2014/15 harvest meant that for only the third time in the past decade, cocoa had to be imported from Côte d’Ivoire to cover the shortfall.

Crop production for the 2015/16 growing season, which spans October to September, reached 690,000 tonnes, although this fell short of the 850,000-tonne projection made by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)

According to the statement by the OBG, yields from both the main harvest and the secondary harvest, which began in late June, were impacted by a prolonged and particularly severe harmattan, a dry wind that blows in from the Sahara Desert, as well as by low rainfall at critical times during the growing cycle.

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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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He said the Producer Price of Cocoa announced by government was the highest in recent times.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SV1QdJhtTTnaKxA13reaVoGatJeK7r8C”]Vice President Amissah-Arthur gave the assurance when he interacted with cocoa farmers at Bimpong-Egya in Twifo Atti-Morkwa constituency of the Central Region.

The programme forms part of the Vice President’s four-day campaign tour of the Region to rally for votes for the NDC to retain power in the December 7 elections.

He was accompanied by Mr Kweku Richet Hagan, Regional Minister, Mr Bernard Allotey Jacobs, Regional Chairman of the NDC as well as other stalwarts of the Party.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also explained that government had started work on the roads leading to cocoa producing areas to open up the country for development.

He said government intended to increase cocoa production from 750,000 tons to one million tons this cocoa season.

He said the government was supplying cocoa farmers with new seedlings for them to replace old cocoa trees as well as agro-chemical and fertilizers to increase the yield of the farmers.

He said the NDC would not take for granted the continuous support of the people in the area for the Party.

Vice President Amissah-Athur also introduced he NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Twifo Atta-Morkwa, Mr Samuel Ato Amoah to the people.

Vice President Amissah-Athur also addressed similar rally at Atti-Morkwa, Nyinasi all in the Twifo Att-Morkwa constituency as well as Wawase and Nkrofom in the Herman Lower Denyira constituency.

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Source: GNA

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