Producer price of cocoa to go up

Sefwi Bonsu-Nkwanta (W/R), June 3, GNA - A new producer price for cocoa is to be announced before the opening of the next main crop season, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Western Regional Minister said on Tuesday.

He said the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) and other stakeholders were working to come out with a new producer price for the crop to further enhance the lots of farmers. The Minister was addressing a forum at Bonsu-Nkwanta where he inaugurated a three-unit classroom block for the local junior secondary school.

Mr. Aidoo said the frequent increases in the producer price of cocoa; the Hi-tech programme and the mass spraying exercise were to further boost the morale of farmers to enable them to step up production. He said the government was working hard to enable the country to recapture its position and the world's largest cocoa producer. In this connection, he said bonus for farmers would be paid regularly, while the supply of inputs through the various schemes would be made more efficient.

He urged cocoa farmers to report the activities of those whose intension was to amass wealth at the expense of the people to the authorities.

Mr. Aidoo advised the people not to connive with recalcitrant people to smuggle insecticides and other inputs out of the country. The Regional Minister also inspected new classroom blocks provided by the Juaboso-Bia District Assembly at Boinzan, Kofikrom, Anhwiafutu, Kwasikrom, Nkatieso, Kantankrubo, Sayerano, Elluokrom, Asuontaa and Adabokrom.