Former chairman for Ahafo Ano Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Union praises gov’t for increasing the prices of cocoa.
The former chairman of the Ahafo Ano Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Union, Mr Amponsah has disclosed that the government under Npp led Nana Akuffo Addo deserves commendation for increasing the prices of cocoa from Ghs 1,308 to Ghs 2,017.
Speaking to the correspondent in an exclusive telephone interview, Mr Amponsah observed that the climate change affected cocoa production and yields in last year resulting into debts incursion on Cocobod’s coffers.
In last year, the climate was not favorable for the farmers who experienced low harvests to the disadvantage of the Cocobod’s external budgetary trend, Mr Amponsah stated.
Mr Amponsah cited that with this unfortunate situation the few cocoa beans that the country exported was used to partly offset the country’s cocoa debts.
According to the former chairman, like the issues favored the government as expected the prices of cocoa would have be increased more than what the farmers have been enjoying now.
He however disassociated himself from those farmers who have been asking for increment up to Ghs 3,000.00 per cocoa bag, without first of all not thinking about the sustainability and security of their cocoa farms.
If our farms have the security on its growth and yields, then we the farmers can boast about our future and put pressure on the government for price increment and not at this time where the future of farmers stand bleak, Mr Amponsah hinted.
Mr Amponsah reiterated that the biggest challenges confronting farmers in the country and the need to find urgent solution to them is all about climate change, and the way people contribute to environmental degradation.
The former chairman expressed his displeasure about the indiscriminate manner that people cut down trees in the bush, lack of rainfall at the right time to enhance bumper harvest, illegal mining in the society, destruction of water bodies and forest reserves among others.
He cited the illegal activities of chain saw operators leading to the spread of small scale sawmills in the villages and the authorities inability to enforce the laws on the offenders.
Mr Amponsah put on records that the aforementioned problems are the matters the farmers should come together and fight against them but not the issue of demanding increase on the prices of their crop yields.
He asserted that if measures are not taken, all the cocoa farms in the country would in the near future turned into desert lands due to our own negligence.
In an answer to a question Mr Amponsah never blamed the staff especially the Forest guards of the Forestry Commission over the destruction of the country’s forest reserves, alleging that it is the politicians who are secretly backing some people to fall trees for commercial business to enrich themselves.
He insisted that such politicians always influence the laws to their advantage and that they cover their agents up from police arrest.
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