Programme to improve cocoa production launched
The Member of Parliament for the Agona West Constituency, Mr Charles Obeng-Inkoom, has launched a programme to improve cocoa production in the area.
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Dubbed “Agonaman Cocoa Sustainability Youth Programme,” the move is an intervention to augment efforts of the government through the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to increase cocoa production and to better the lot of farmers.
The event attracted cocoa farmers from Nyakrom, Upper Bobikuma, Lower Bobikuma, Agona Nkum, Oteipro, Nyamendam, Apponsah, Otsenkorang and Kuntanase.
As part of the event, the MP presented 50 cocoa spraying machines to the farmers, who had been put into groups, to help them during the spraying seasons.
Mr Obeng-Inkoom told the gathering that the initiative was to encourage the youth to go into cocoa production, since there existed a lot of support by the government in its quest to achieve more than a million tonnes of cocoa annually.
He stated that the current cocoa farmers were aged and if care was not taken the annual cocoa yield would reduce, since the younger generation had not been empowered to take over.
He urged the farmers to properly regulate the usage of the machines as well as ensure their maintenance to enable them to last longer.
The Central Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division of COCOBOD, Dr Eugene Ofori-Gyamfi, urged the farmers to take education given them by extension officers seriously so as to increase their yield.
He said his outfit was committed to achieving the targeted annual yield and, therefore, implored the farmers to adhere to best practices towards meeting the target.
The Omanhene of Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area, Okofo Katakyi Nana Nyarku Eku X, who chaired the event, said the area had been a cocoa-growing territory from time immemorial and the crop had served as a source of livelihood for farmers.