Chiefs urged to assist youth to venture into cocoa farming

Accra, Oct. 3, GNA - Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has appealed to the chiefs and traditional authorities to assist the youth who intend to take up cocoa farming by offering land to them on flexible terms.

Dr Opuni said the offer terms should be attractive enough to motivate them to make long term investment into cocoa farming.

He made the appeal at the 21 National Cocoa Festival at the Akyem Tafo in the Eastern Region on the theme: 'Sustainable Cocoa production: The Role of the Youth.'

The festival which brought together stakeholders in the sector is to create awareness on the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa and to promote its consumption in member countries.

Dr Opuni said the theme was critical because it underpins the collective determination to ensure that cocoa continue to play its vital role in the socio-economic development of the country.

He said the global cocoa consumption is growing between two to three per cent per annum and based on the current trends, it is projected to lead to a production deficit of 100,000 tonnes by 2020.

He said the cocoa sector generates about 20 per cent of the country's merchandise exports and has created a unique culture for the people as well as determined the ace of social progress and economic development.

Dr Opuni said COCOBOD has initiated the youth in cocoa farming programme in a number of cocoa growing communities, which not only identify young men and women already engaged in cocoa farming but also attract new ones to take up the lucrative agricultural venture.

'Over thirty thousand young men and women are engaged in cocoa farming under the programme including the Assinman Young Cocoa Farmers Associations at Assin Fosu in the Central Region, Ellembelle in the Western Region, Asante Akim in the Ashanti Region and Kade in the Eastern Region,' he said.

He said the associations were supported with free hybrid cocoa seedlings, fertilizers, agrochemicals and free extension services.

He said the board had also started the cocoa rehabilitation and replanting programme to assist farmers to rehabilitate and replant old, diseased and abandoned cocoa farms.

He said during the 2014/2015 season, 50 million hybrid cocoa seedlings were raised and distributed to farmers for free.

Dr Opuni noted that his outfit has introduced the child education support programme to ensure that schools in cocoa growing communities are rehabilitated and new ones built in communities where there are no schools.

"We are committed to improving the road network in the cocoa growing communities and other infrastructural developments to help improve the quality of life and motivate the youth to stay in these communities and engage in cocoa farming, 'he said.

A speech read on behalf of Mr Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance said government has initiated and implemented policy measures for sustained growth and development of cocoa industry which have impacted positively on the cocoa chain.

He said government is ready to offer all the needed support to ensure that the cocoa industry becomes successful.

He urged the youth to develop interest in cocoa farming since it creates a viable businesses along the cocoa value chain.

Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, Spokesperson for the Ghana Cocoa Coffee Sheanut Farmers Association, commended government for providing free seedlings and fertilizers to farmers to improve cocoa farming.

He asked COCOBOD to consider involving the association through its cocoa inputs company in the distribution processes.

He appealed to government to repair the breakdown of the solar street lights in the cocoa communities.

GNA