Cocoa Farmers Will Soon Enjoy Pension Scheme

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed that the government would soon introduce a pension scheme for all cocoa farmers in the country.

“We are working on a pension scheme for cocoa farmers. It will be the first ever cocoa pension scheme for cocoa farmers. There is work going on seriously to try to launch it this year,' he pointed out.

According to him, the scheme would also benefit all personers in the cocoa value chain.

The vice president revealed this at the climax of the 2017 Kundum Festival of the chiefs and people of Nsein in the Nzema East municipality of the Western Region.

The occasion was also used to mark the 50 years' anniversary of the enstoolment of Awulae Agyefi Kwame II as the Omanhene of Nsein Traditional Area.

Cocoa farmers over the years have had to save for themselves when they become weak and cannot work on their farms. Others who could not save had been subjected to financial humiliation.

Others died poor, despite producing one of the world's most essential commodities for decades to cushion the national economy.

Dr. Bawumia was not happy about the fact that cocoa farmers whose contributions had put the country on the world stage, tend to be the least beneficiaries of their own produce.

“The initiative is therefore directly in line with the government's aim of improving the lots of cocoa farmers in the country,” he added.

He continued, “The scheme, if well implemented, will serve also as motivation for the youth to take up cocoa farming to augment the falling production levels of the commodity in the country.”

The Omanhene, Awulae Agyefi Kwame, pledged the commitment of his chiefs to help in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) to ensure that the country's natural resources are protected for future generations.

“I want to especially thank President Nana Akufo-Addo for the courageous decision to fight galamsey.

“We are all seeing the effects on the environment, especially our water bodies. My people and I say thank you,” the Omanhene underscored while bemoaning the rising spate of teenage pregnancy in the area, which is preventing girls from taking full advantage of scholarships offered by the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) and other companies operating in the area.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Nsein