The Ghana Agricultural and Rural Development Journalists Association, GARDJA, as part of her contribution towards development in cocoa farming in Ghana, has engaged cocoa farmers, FBO’s, agricultural extension officers, Forestry Commission and other stakeholders to deliberate on the best possible ways to sustaining farming cocoa, which is the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
The program which took place on 2nd March 2019 at the auditorium of the University of Agricultural and Environmental Studies, UCAES was themed as “Cocoa is the backbone of our country and its sustainability is key.”
The 3rd edition of this engagement was very successful since participants the organization anticipated for were overwhelmingly more. Cocoa farmers within 9 Districts in the Eastern region and comprised of about 15 cocoa farmers association honored the invitation to dialogue their discomforts in cocoa farming.
Most of the farmers complained of selective cocoa mass spraying, lack of fertilizers, inability to control pests and weeds. Some also were very much furious and saddened because their landowners connive with miners to destroy their cocoa lands for mining.
Cocoa farmers from East Akyem municipality who came in their numbers also complained bitterly of the stance government and the chiefs in the area have taken to drive them all away from their cocoa farmlands for rubber plantation.
Other cocoa farmers complained woefully because they forced to sell their cocoa farms or compelled to sell because their routes to the farms would be blocked by the farmers.
There were other farmers who also complained of irrigation and pleaded that the government should come to their aid.
The program was very successful as farmers from Atiwa East and West, Fanteakwa South and North, Abuakwa South, and North, East Akyem, New Buabeng among MoFA representatives, Lecturers from UCAES, Journalists across the nation and a lot of Agric extension officers were given the platform to discuss the way forward to ensuring the sustainability of Cocoa in Ghana.
