|
President Kufuor announces increase in
cocoa producer price
Bibiani (W/R), Oct. 1, Ghanadot/GNA - President John Agyekum
Kufuor on Monday announced an upward adjustment of the
producer price of cocoa from GH 9,015 cedis (9.15 million
cedis) per tonne to GH 9,050 cedis (9.5 million cedis),
effective from the 2007/2008 main crop season.
With this, the Ghanaian farmer+IBk-s share of the FOB now
stands at 72.11 per cent up from the less than 50 per cent,
they were receiving seven years ago.
The increase comes at a time when the price of cocoa on the
international market had dropped from 1,900 dollars to about
1,500 dollars.
Addressing this year+IBk-s Cocoa Day at Bibiani in the
Western Region, President Kufuor said the Government has
also directed the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to ensure that
bonus to farmers was paid in two installments every year.
The first would be in July and the final payment before the
end of the year.
The arrangement is meant to help them with funds, in the
absence of micro-credit schemes, to support their
children+IBk-s education at the start of the academic year.
President Kufuor said other interventions introduced include
the increase of the COCOBOD scholarship award beneficiaries
from 2,500 students to 7,500, tarring of a total of 531
kilometres of roads linking cocoa growing communities in the
six cocoa farming regions, distribution of 1,000,000 treated
mosquito nets and the provision of solar street lights and
solar torch lights.
These, he said, were aimed at making sure that farmers would
not only enjoy tangible benefits of their hard work but also
discourage the drift of the youth to urban areas.
He said the Government+IBk-s policy measures since the year
2001 had not only rejuvenated the cocoa sector but improved
the real returns to farmers.
President Kufuor used the day to convey the nation's
gratitude to the Ghanaian cocoa farmer for the invaluable
contribution to the economy.
The Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Mr Kwadwo
Baah-Wiredu, said the Government was determined to ensure
that loans were given to farmers at reasonable interest
rates.
He said they wanted to see agricultural interest rate pegged
between 5-10 per cent with a maturity period of between 5
and 10 years.
Mrs Frema Opare Osei, Deputy Minister of Water Resources,
Works and Housing, advised the farmers not to use children
for labour-intensive and any other jobs on their farms
likely to pre-dispose them to hazardous chemicals.
Mr Isaac Osei, the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, warned that
the Board would not allow cheating of the farmers through
the adjustment of weighing scales by unscrupulous Purchasing
Clerks.
He said achieving the twin vision of increasing cocoa
production and processing of 40 per cent of the output
required hard work and encouraged the farmers to take
advantage of the various interventions such as the mass
cocoa spraying and hi-tech fertilizers to boost their
output.
Nana Yaw Gyebi, Omanhene of Anhwiaso, appealed to the
Government to see to it that cocoa processing factories were
sited closer to the cocoa producing areas.
The Western Region produces 57 per cent of Ghana+IBk-s total
cocoa output.
There were fraternal messages from the Cocoa Producers
Alliance and the International Cocoa Organisation.
The theme for the Day was +IBw-Process and Consume more
cocoa for good health and Economic Growth.
GNA
|
