Plans underway to enhance welfare of cocoa farmers – Dr. Afriyie Akoto

Delivering his keynote address at a cocoa investors’ forum at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Dr. Afriyie Akoto outlined some measures necessary to improve the welfare of cocoa farmers in the country.

“Improvement in the welfare of our cocoa farmers will require an improvement in farm productivity, sustainable domestic and international prices and solid partnerships to ensure that the interest of farmers and producer countries is catered for internationally and locally while fostering competitive domestic supply chains that will feed local industries built on cocoa”, he stated.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto revealed that solutions to the swollen shoot disease, and the provision of support to community infrastructure are being implemented to enhance the welfare of cocoa farmers.

“Investments for improving farm productivity will involve the control of the viral cocoa swollen shoot disease, increase farmer access to cost effective inputs, and extension services and other support in community infrastructure to enhance the welfare of the farmer”, he disclosed.

The Agriculture Minister added: “It was in this regard that Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire jointly submitted a funding request to the African Development Bank to undertake projects in five key areas of the cocoa value chain, to mobilize the necessary investment required to adequately raise farm productivity, improve domestic storage and warehouse infrastructure, increase local value addition as well as raise demand through the promotion of cocoa consumption and utilization domestically”.

In 2017, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire and President Akufo-Addo of Ghana had a meeting with President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina to discuss cocoa sector investments and mechanisms to reduce market volatility. This meeting came up as a result of the collapse of world cocoa prices earlier that year.