Government Commended For Upward Cocoa Price Review

Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, National President of Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Shea nut Farmers' Association, yesterday commended the government for the upward review of producer price of cocoa to make life comfortable for cocoa farmers.

He said, the move shows the government’s determination to ensure that smuggling of cocoa and its products to neighbouring countries is stopped for the country to re-occupy its position as the world's number one producer of cocoa.

Alhaji Bukari said this when he held a meeting in Tamale with Northern Region District Chief Farmers who are Executives of the Association to establish an interim management committee to run the affairs of the association.

He said, the increase in the cocoa price on quarterly basis is a manifestation that the government's target in attaining one million tonnes by the year 2011 is on course and appealed to the price review committee to continue to monitor the system closely to effect upward adjustments when necessary.

Alhaji Bukari appealed to cocoa farmers in border areas to appreciate the price increases and stop smuggling the product into neighbouring countries since the government has pledged to put mechanisms that will benefit all cocoa farmers and their families.

He said government has also promised to continue with the cocoa spraying exercise as well as to continue with scholarship awards for children of cocoa farmers and advised farmers to cooperate with the extension officers for the exercise to succeed.

The government last Thursday announced an upward adjustment of the producer price of cocoa from GH¢2, 208 per tonne to GH¢2,400 per tonne for the 2009/2010 season.

The figure translated into GH¢150 per bag of 64 kilogramme weight as compared to GH¢138 per bag as announced in October last year.

Source: GNA