Ghana, Cote d’lvoire to devise ways to protect cocoa farmers
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are collaborating to develop sustainable measures to protect cocoa farmers from the harsh effects of global falling prices of the commodity.
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Even though both countries control about 60 per cent of the world cocoa output, they do not determine the global price, unlike the case of oil where it is done by Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Representatives of the two countries are subsequently meeting in Accra to discuss mechanisms to manage huge drops in cocoa prices and other topics which have far-reaching consequences on the livelihoods of hardworking cocoa farmers.
At the opening of the second meeting of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire Technical Co-operation on Cocoa, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said the absence of an appreciable rise in demand to help push up and stabilise prices was threatening the sustainability of cocoa production; hence, the need for urgent measures to bring the situation under control.
“If the international cocoa price increases were largely occasioned by non-market factors, then the growing supply of cocoa beans could be inimical to the very hardworking farmer, whose efforts remain under-appreciated by the market. There is growing apprehension among producers about the dynamics of the international cocoa market. Therefore, there is the need for urgent, effective and sustainable measures to first protect our farmers and economies from the harsh effects of this price drops, and then chart a future path of greater self-reliance,” he said.
The minister explained that enhancing the welfare of cocoa farmers would require an improvement in farm productivity, sustainable domestic and international prices and a stronger producer organisation.
“This will ensure that the interest of farmers and producer countries is catered for while fostering a competitive domestic downstream sector,” he said.
The co-operation between the two countries, he said, would help harness resources, synergise strategies and march forward with the common objective of improving the welfare of cocoa farmers and both economies at large.
Tackling falling prices
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, said persistent price volatility, smuggling of inputs and cocoa beans, among other challenges, brought about the need for both countries to find lasting solutions to them.
“As the two leading producers commanding about 60 per cent of global output, the need for Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to collaborate towards harmonised production and marketing arrangements cannot be over-emphasised. We believe that this meeting will lay the strong foundation for the attainment of such a harmonised system underpinned by the spirit of fraternal relationship leading to exchange of experiences, expertise and lessons along the cocoa value chain,” he said.
He said the focus of the meeting was to foster co-operation between the two countries on cocoa production.
The Ghana- Cote d’Ivoire Co-operation
The Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire Co-operation is an avenue for harnessing resources and synergising strategies from the two largest cocoa producers towards a sustainable cocoa economy.
The meeting is expected to devise strategies for mitigating the harsh effects of declining prices on cocoa farmers, build resilient and robust cocoa sectors capable of rendering appreciable and sustainable benefits to farmers and the economies of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
As part of the two-day meeting, there would be technical discussions on co-operation in enhancing farm level productivity, marketing and issues of interest in international affairs.
