The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has commenced a nationwide farmer sensitisation campaign to educate cocoa farmers on the reintroduced Free Fertiliser and Agro-Inputs Distribution Programme under the Cocoa Diseases and Pest Control (CODAPEC/HITECH) Programme alongside a series of strategic reforms aimed at revitalising Ghana's cocoa industry, improving farmer livelihoods and securing the long-term sustainability of cocoa production.
The exercise, being undertaken by the Public Affairs Department in collaboration with the Cocoa Pest and Disease Control (CODAPEC) Unit of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), began in the Western South Region with engagements in the Aiyinase, Huni Valley, Prestea and Samraboi cocoa districts.
It has since continued in the Ashanti Region, covering the Tepa, Mankranso and Juaso districts, with plans to extend to all cocoa-growing areas across the country.
The sensitisation campaign, which is being rolled out across all cocoa-growing areas, will ensure that farmers fully understand the new interventions, the operational modalities of the free input distribution programme and the broader policy reforms being implemented to reposition Ghana's cocoa sector for sustainable growth.
Free input distribution programme
The National Coordinator of CODAPEC, Seidu Iddrisu Abu, said that the intervention represented a significant departure from the previous subsidised input distribution system.
He explained that the new programme introduced a fully government-funded input support system designed to improve productivity, reduce production costs for cocoa farmers and ensure a more transparent, equitable and efficient distribution of fertilisers and other critical agro-inputs.
Mr Abu said eligibility for the programme was restricted to registered cocoa farmers with productive cocoa farms captured under the Cocoa Management System (CMS) and other official means.
He said abandoned farms, moribund farms, farms severely affected by Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and those threatened by land-use conversion through illegal mining, rubber cultivation or residential development would not qualify for support under the programme.
He further indicated that fertiliser allocation would be based on scientifically determined agronomic criteria, taking into account the age, condition and productivity of individual cocoa farms.
Decentralised distribution model, scholarship
Mr Abu announced that the programme would be implemented through 247 decentralised community distribution centres across the country under the supervision of Community Task Forces.
According to him, the decentralised model replaces the previous cooperative-based distribution system and incorporates robust accountability measures, including communal fertiliser application, retrieval of empty fertiliser sacks, publication of beneficiary lists and continuous field monitoring to minimise diversion, eliminate smuggling and ensure that the inputs reached their intended beneficiaries.
Beyond the inputs and reforms, the campaign also includes education on the tertiary education scholarship for wards of cocoa farmers scheduled to be implemented in the 2026/27 academic year.
Restoring confidence in industry
Addressing hundreds of cocoa farmers during the engagements, the Deputy Head of Public Affairs, Benjamin Teye Larweh, commended farmers for their resilience, patience and unwavering commitment to cocoa production despite the economic and operational challenges that have confronted the sector in recent years.
He assured farmers that COCOBOD remained firmly committed to restoring confidence within the industry through deliberate policy reforms, improved stakeholder engagement and interventions designed to enhance productivity and improve farmer welfare.
Mr Larweh acknowledged the temporary delays in producer payments, explaining that they resulted from financing constraints arising from the unprecedented decline in international cocoa prices.
He, however, informed farmers that COCOBOD had released substantial funds to the Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to facilitate the settlement of outstanding payments.
He expressed confidence that the payment process would be completed shortly, enabling farmers to reinvest in their farms ahead of the new crop season.
Touching on the increasing spread of misinformation surrounding the cocoa sector, Mr Larweh cautioned farmers against relying on unverified information or narratives that had the potential to undermine confidence in the industry.
He urged farmers to rely exclusively on official communication from COCOBOD and its authorised representatives.
