Don't give your cocoa farms to Galamsey operators- COCOBOD CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo has urged cocoa farmers to hold onto their farms and not to give it out to illegal miners popularly known as galamsey for mineral prospecting.

In his view, monies which galamsey operators will give to them in exchange for their cocoa farmers for their illegal mining activities cannot be compared with what they will be getting if they maintain their farms.

He noted that cocoa offers sustainable source of income for generations and therefore urged them to maintain their farms.

Speaking to Chiefs and Cocoa farmers at Anyinasi in the Western Region during a visit to the area, as part of his tour to cocoa communities in the region, Mr Boahen Aidoo indicated that his outfit is rolling out a number of programmes aimed at improving cocoa yields.

He said farmers who will maintain their cocoa farms will be better off when the various programmes are being implemented.

Mr Boahen Aidoo was worried that despite the fact that cocoa farming is a profitable venture, most young people, he said; do not want to venture it.

He urged the youth to venture into cocoa farming if they want sustainable income.

The Chief of Anyinasi Nana Atsu Panyin who accused officials of CODAPEC for discriminating against farmers when they are distributing chemicals to the farmers appealed to Mr Boahen Aidoo to call them to order.

Nana Atsu Panyin who praised Mr. Boahen Aidoo for introducing the hand pollination programme, which he said, is yielding results, appealed to him to consider employing the youth in the area when the second phase of the programme is being rolled out.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

#Latestinghana #Headlinesnews #Politics #News