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Policy of Friday, July 26, 2019
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2019-07-26
Member of the Standing Committee, Parliamentary Committee on Food and Agriculture – Eric Opoku
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), of the opposition, said that cocoa farmers were going through the most terrible period under the Akufo-Addo administration.
At a press conference to respond to a challenge launched by the president, the NDC said that, as far as the cocoa sector, Akufo-Addo's administration is not NDC.
"Cocoa farmers are much worse off today than under President Mahama and the NDC. Cocoa production has steadily declined, while all major projects in the cocoa sector are in free fall since the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo.
This comment came after the president had asked the CND to prove that cocoa production had improved under the John Mahama administration.
President Akufo-Addo made a statement in Daboase, capital of Wbada East District, where he said that former President Mahama had spoiled the progress made under his predecessor and former boss, the late John Evans Atta Mills.
"We challenge them to come and tell us what they have done to increase cocoa production," he said in the run-up to the 2020 election.
"I can tell you in advance what they did, zero," said the president.
Eric Opoku, a member of the rankings of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Food and Agriculture, said it was during President Mahama's tenure that the policy of free fertilization of cocoa farms had been introduced – 2013/2014.
According to him, this has been repeated in 2015 and 2016 to boost cocoa production.
"It is this program that has changed the game that has allowed Ghana to reach its second highest cocoa production in the world, with 969,000 metric tons for the 2016/2017 cocoa season under the chairmanship of President Mahama, as paragraph 403 of the PNP's own 2018 budget. '
According to the deputy of Asunafo-Sud, it is under the presidency of President Mahama that the free distribution of hybrid cocoa plants to cocoa farmers has been introduced.
As part of this program, the MP said that COCOBOD has expanded seedling nursery sites from 28 to 330 nursery sites from 2014 to 2016.
Cargil Cocoa
"In total, about 4,000 workers were hired during the different cocoa seasons at the nursery sites. It should be noted that during the cocoa season 2014/2015, 50 million hybrid cocoa plants were raised and distributed free of charge to farmers.
"During the 2015/2016 cocoa season, 60 million hybrid cocoa seedlings were raised and distributed free of charge to farmers. During the 2016/2017 cocoa season, 60 million additional hybrid cocoa plants were harvested for free distribution to farmers, "he added.
Instead of admitting that he has dropped cocoa farmers and completely mismanaged the cocoa sector in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo, he said, "continues to show insincerity and total lack of sympathy for the difficult situation of the poor cocoa producer ".
President Akufo-Addo's claim on annual cocoa production
The MP said that President Akufo-Addo's claims on annual cocoa production in the country, which rose from 350,000 metric tons in 2000 to 750,000 tons at the end of 2008, are "the product of the ignorance of the President.
Opoku said the president was misled by his managers.
"The first maximum yield of 1 million tonnes of cocoa was achieved under the administration of NDC Mills / Mahama during the 2010/2011 cocoa season. The second annual cocoa production (969,000 metric tons) was conducted under the supervision of President Mahama during the 2016/2017 cocoa season.
"This fact can be verified in paragraph 403 of the 2018 PNP budget statement presented to Parliament. So where did President Akufo-Addo get his figures? Who misled our president this time? Your estimate is as good as mine.
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