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Gov't to use $1.3bn to purchase cocoa in 2018
- kencitymediagh
- Nov 15, 2017
- 2 min read
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that some $1.3bn has been raised to purchase 850,000 tonnes of cocoa beans for 2017/2018 cocoa season.
He said while other cocoa-producing countries reduced producer price as the commodity price tumbled on the international market, Ghana maintained its price to motivate farmers in the country.
Mr. Ofori-Atta revealed this in Parliament while delivering the 2018 budget statement Wednesday.
He said Cocobod under the previous administration awarded an incredible amount of 5.1bn for roads when it had budgeted 1.2bn, leaving a huge deficit.
He hinted that government will also launch an insurance policy for cocoa farmers to bring relief to them.
Touching on the government "Planting for Food and Jobs" programme, Finance Minister, said that 201,000 farmers have been registered for the programme.
He said that Planting for Food and Jobs has been a tremendous success since its inception.
The Program he noted has recruited 2,160 university graduates and 1,070 youth to register and provide extension services.
“201,000 farmers have been registered for the Planting for Food and Jobs program. The Program has been a tremendous success.
It recruited 2,160 university graduates and 1,070 youth to register and provide extension services” he said.
The Planting for Food and Job project, which is one of the government’s flagship programmes, has come under attacks a month after it was implemented.
Under the programme, farmers are expected to be provided with improved seeds and subsidized fertilizers to ease their work and boost production.
But Mr Ken Ofori Attah indicated that a total of 220 tractors and accessories comprising 141 maize shellers, 77 Multi-crop threshers have been distributed to farmers and service providers to promote agricultural mechanization.
To facilitate the provision of community-owned and managed small-scale irrigation facilities, the finance minister noted that government has identified 192 small dams and dugouts in 64 districts for development.
Story By: Michael Creg Afful.
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