Cocoa farmers who have adapted the Hand Pollination technology introduced by the government through Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in 2017 are happy about the outcome of the technology.
They claim the technology has led to an astronomic increase in their cocoa field and help improve their living standards.
The Hand Pollination programme alone is to help increase yields from about 12 pods per tree currently to over 100 pods per tree.
In an interview with Oyerepa News’ Emmanuel Oduro, Mr. Samuel Opoku, Manso Nkwanta Chief Cocoa Farmer confirmed that a pollinated cocoa tree can bear over 100 pods at a time.
He added that any cocoa farmer who will adapt the hand pollination technology and at the same time apply fertilizer to the soil stands the chance of reaping bountifully the following season.
In June 2017, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) launched a national hand pollination program targeted at increasing cocoa yield in the country.
The program is expected to employ about 30,000 youth who will use their hands to pollinate cocoa trees.
The youth will in the process also train cocoa farmers to learn the technique of pollinating their cocoa trees with their hands to help increase yields from about 12 pods per tree currently to over 100 pods per tree.
Three years after its introduction, the hand pollination program appears to be yielding positive results.
