A minority claims NDC record in the cocoa sector

General News on Friday, July 26, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-07-26

The minority in Parliament called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to focus on cleaning up what she describes as the mess that her government has created in the cocoa sector.

They claimed that the first record yield of one million tons of cocoa in cocoa production had been achieved under the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Mills / Mahama during the cocoa season. 2010/2011, while the second highest production, 969,000 tonnes, was under the supervision of President John Dramani Mahama during the 2016/2017 cocoa season.

At a press conference held yesterday in Parliament, Mr Eric Opoku, senior member of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Food and Agriculture, said the facts regarding the performance of NDC in the cocoa sector could be verified in paragraph 403 of the PNP budget statement presented to Parliament in 2018.

He said that cocoa farmers are now far less well off, as the steady decline in production shows.

Recent challenge

The press conference was made necessary by the recent challenge by President Akufo-Addo to the former Mahama government to name one of their policies that aimed to increase cocoa production during their term .

Mr Opoku said instead of admitting that the current government had failed cocoa farmers in Ghana and that the government had completely mismanaged the cocoa sector in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo continued to demonstrate A lack of sympathy for the fate of the poor cocoa farmer.

Mr Opoku, who is also MP for Asunafo South, said the president had asked for a policy, but that, to do justice to the NDC's top ranking in government, they would be giving more of a policy introduced by Mahama administration, which boosted cocoa production in the country.

Free fertilizer for cocoa farms

First, the NDC under President Mahama introduced the policy of free fertilization of cocoa farms during the 2013/2014 crop year and repeated it the following season to boost cocoa production and its program Revolutionary was Ghana's highest annual cocoa production peak of 969,000 tonnes for the 2016/2017 crop year, as noted in paragraph 403 of the 2018 nuclear power plant budget statement.

"In addition, annual cocoa production has further decreased to an estimated 770 000 tonnes for the 2018/2019 cocoa season, a 21% drop in annual cocoa production since the 2016/2017 cocoa season".

Huge decline

The deputy of South Asunafo said that the main reason for this significant drop in cocoa production was that the Akufo-Addo government, after taking office in 2017, had canceled the distribution of free fertilizers to cocoa farmers initiated by the Mahama administration. ("Fertilizers not for sale") to farmers at 80 GH ¢ per bag. "

"Ghana is certainly feeling the consequences of President Akufo-Addo's inhuman and counterproductive measures in the cocoa sector," he said.

Free plants

Another intervention introduced by President Mahama to boost cocoa production in the medium term is the free distribution of hybrid cocoa plants to cocoa farmers. As part of this initiative, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has expanded plant nursery sites from 28 to 330 from 2014 to 2016, said Mr Opoku.

In total, about 4,000 workers were hired during the different cocoa seasons at the nursery sites.

"It should be noted that during the 2014/2015 cocoa season, 50 million hybrid cocoa plants were raised and distributed free of charge to farmers. During the 2015/2016 season, 60 million hybrid cocoa plants were grown and distributed free of charge to farmers, "said Opoku.

Cocoa season

The ranking member stated that during the cocoa season 2016/2017, 60 million additional hybrid cocoa plants were raised for free distribution to farmers, which resulted in the planting of the 1,200 seedlings in the cocoa season. one hectare of cocoa.

He claimed that the Mahama administration had undertaken other actions to motivate cocoa farmers and improve their livelihoods, including the construction of boreholes, schools and roads fueled by cocoa. Solar energy in cocoa production areas.

"In addition, the Mahama administration continued the mbad cocoa spraying program launched by the Kufuor administration. All of these measures were designed to improve the life of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer and boost cocoa production, "he said.