Kuapa Kokoo supports one million tonnes agenda by gov`t

THE MANAGEMENT and Shareholders of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union have held their 15th Annual Delegates' Conference in Kumasi with a promise to boost the country's cocoa production stock, in order to help achieve the One million tones target set by government by the year 2011.

The Union has pledged to adopt effective and scientific methods aimed at improving the quality of their cocoa produce and also ensure higher yields for farmers in the union.

The National President of the Union, Mr.P.C.K Buah, who gave the assurance in an address at a Conference held at Kumasi, disclosed that the union had on behalf of the farmers entered into an agreement with the Ghana Cocoa Board for the supply of fertilizers, which he said would be distributed to member farmers at subsidized prices.

Mr. Buah further revealed that in order to improve the lives of farmers and give them value for their production, an agreement had been reached with Cadbury Cocoa Partnership Programme, initiated by Cadbury Ghana, to enable farmers have sustainable benefits of production.

The Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union (KKFU) is a national body which is represented and run by farmers elected by the village societies, grouped from the various cocoa growing regions in the country. Currently, the Union has 1,333 societies made up of 52,000 individual farmers from five out of the six cocoa growing regions in the country.

The National President of KKFU also announced that in the 2008/09 fiscal year, the Union's Chocolate Company, Divine Chocolate, based in the United Kingdom, paid dividends to farmers for their investments in the company, adding that an amount of £33,602.35 was paid to Kuapa Kokoo Farmers to symbolize the UK-based company's commitment towards building better lives for their Ghanaian partners.

He also said in line with the success achieved by Divine Chocolate, UK, the National Executive Council had invested an amount of $100,000 in the company's branch at United State, and expressed the confidence that the investment would add more value to the lives of producers.

Mr.Buah, however, expressed regret that the long standing legal battle involving some former executives and the union continued to drain the resources of the union but expressed the optimism that with the promulgation of the new constitution, those outstanding issues would be resolved.

The Managing Director of the Kuapa Kokoo Company Limited, the trading arm of Kuapa Kokoo, Mr. K. Adusei Poku, was very optimistic that the target set up by the company would be achieved.

He expressed his satisfaction with the progress so far made by union members and commended the National Executive Council for their visionary and efficient leadership.

The MD of Divine Chocolate, UK, Sophie Tranchell in her solidarity message praised cocoa farmers in the country for the production of quality coca products which continues to enjoy high popularity in the world market.

She urged members to continue to adopt best production practices and also expressed the company's best wishes to all union members for their hardwork