The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is to register all cocoa farmers in Ghana next year to build a reliable database of cocoa farmers and their respective holdings.
Additionally, COCOBOD is encouraging every cocoa farmer to register with a community-based farmers’ cooperative which in turn must register with the Department of Cooperatives from January, next year.
The Ashanti Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division of COCOBOD, Osei Kwadwo Danso, made this known in Kumasi at the first General Assembly Meeting of the World Cocoa Farmers Organization.
The World Cocoa Farmers Organization is the umbrella and welfare body for cocoa farmers in 10 cocoa-producing countries in the world including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
Mr.Danso, Ashanti Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division of COCOBOD disclosed that after the national data capturing of cocoa farmers and the sizes of their farms among other issues next year, any farmer who is not captured will not be allowed to sell his or her beans to any Licensed Buying Company in the country.
Additionally, farmers who fail to join community-based farmers’ cooperative from next year will not benefit from any of the government’s cocoa productivity enhancement interventions such the supply of mechanized slashers.
The Global President of World Cocoa Farmers Organization, Abraham Adusei assured the farmers that their interests and concerns are being taken care of.
The Vice President of the Caribbean region, Hugh Johnson, asked cocoa farmers to unite towards achieving a common good.
The Bantamahene, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia, who represented the Asantehene, noted with concern that despite their enormous contribution to the macroeconomy over the years, cocoa farmers continue to be poor and less recognized in the scheme of national matters.
The Ashanti Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division, of COCOBOD, Mr. Osei Kwadwo Danso, disclosed that after the national data capturing of cocoa farmers any farmer who is not captured will not be allowed to sell his or her beans to any Licensed Buying Company.
