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Company News of Friday, July 26, 2019
Source: whatsupnewsghana.com
2019-07-26
play the videoCbadiel Ato Forson, former Deputy Minister of Finance
Former Deputy Finance Minister Casiel Ato Forson pointed out that cocoa production in Ghana has been declining since President Akufo-Addo took office in 2017.
In an article challenging the President's claims that his government would have done more for the cocoa sector in Ghana than the previous NDC government, in which Hon. Forson served, the former deputy finance minister presented statistics that show a downward trend in cocoa flow.
"Cocoa production has been declining since taking control: 2016/17 = 969,000, 2017/18 = 904,000, 2018/19 = 800,000, currently at 770,000, the highest possible will be 820,000", he wrote.
Casiel Ato Forson, who is also the minority finance spokesman, said that, contrary to President Akufo-Addo's claim, Ghana's highest cocoa production was achieved under former president Mahama .
"Remember that the 2016/17 cocoa production year was the second highest because of Prez Mahama's investments! and this is the second largest increase since 2010/11, when we had won 1 million tonnes under the late President Atta Mills. "
Mr. Forson also said that cocoa farmers are worse off under President Akufo-Addo than under President Mahama, because under the old regime, fertilizers were distributed free to cocoa farmers, but President Akufo -Addo now sells the same fertilizer to farmers. .
"Free seedlings have also been distributed to all and are not sold to known partygoers, as we know, is happening now!
"Real producer prices were positive under President Mahama, but negative under this government, despite the mbadive Cedi depreciation from 3.2 in October 2016 to 5.4 today!
"The cocoa routes have been awarded, some completed and others at various stages of completion under President Mahama. After having suspended work on all these roads for nearly three years, they now want to return to the same projects and continue!
"We have expanded the cocoa seed gardens from 27 to over 200 all over the country! Ato Forson says.
Meanwhile, a group of cocoa growers from the East region has accused the Akufo-Addo government of negligence and has signaled its opposition to the destruction of cocoa farms in Asikasu if President Akufo-Addo n & # 39; It does not stop the usurpation of cocoa land by rubber plantations. Farmers.
"We give the president an ultimatum of three days. If he does not make sure we recover our land, we will manifest. Unfortunately, COCOBOD says that they have not seen this. COCOBOD does not serve the interests of ordinary cocoa farmers, "said Nana Oboadie Bonsu, president of the Concerned Farmers Association.
Oboadie, who spoke at the 3rd round of cocoa dialogues organized by the Ghana Association of Journalists for Agricultural and Rural Development (GARDJA) in Bunso, eastern region, said farmers would not sit and allow their lands to be usurped.
"Ghana is for us all. We will not sit down and allow anyone to destroy the cocoa industry. They do not care about ordinary cocoa farmers. It is unfortunate that cocoa, which the government has asked farmers to plant and develop, is being destroyed and nobody cares. Why would the government do that?
According to him, the destruction of cocoa plantations in Asikasu has been going on for a long time and the complaints and requests to the government for intervention have been ignored.
As a result, he said that at least 50 farmers lost their lives, trying to defend their land, while 2,000 hectares of cocoa farms were destroyed.
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