COCOBOD presents weighing scales to Brong Ahafo cocoa farmers

Sunyani, Sept. 5, GNA – The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has acquired 2,400 weighing scales and 100,000 test stones estimated at 9.5 billion Ghana cedis for distribution to cocoa farmers in the country.

This was announced at the presentation of 140 of weighing scales and 12,000 test stones to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Cocoa Farmers Secretariat in Sunyani on Wednesday, for distribution to cocoa farmers.

Mr Ebenezer Opoku-Agyemang, Senior Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of COCOBOD, made the presentation on behalf of the COCOBOD.

He said the acquisition of the inputs would prevent cocoa farmers from being cheated by purchasing clerks through the adjustment of weighing scales.

Mr Opoku-Agyemang explained that it would enable the farmers weigh their cocoa beans to know the actual weight and cost before sending them to the purchasing clerks.

Nana Adjei Damoah, Deputy National Chief Farmer and Brong-Ahafo Regional Chief Farmer, receiving the scales and stones on behalf of cocoa farmers, praised the government for responding to the request of the farmers for supplying the inputs.

Nana Damoah, also a Board Member of COCOBOD, said a test stone weighed 10 kilogrammes, and explained that “by weighing the test stone first before weighing the cocoa beans, farmers would be able to know the exact quantity and kilogrammes of their cocoa beans before taking them to the purchasing clerks.”

“By virtue of such calculations, any adjustment of scales by purchasing clerks at cocoa buying centres would be detected by the farmers to avoid being cheated“.

GNA