Cocoa farmers urged to redouble efforts to raise output

The District Chief Executive for Ahafo-Ano South, Mr Thomas Kwakwah, has urged cocoa farmers to redouble their efforts to help Ghana to hit the cocoa production target of 1,000,000 tonnes.

This, he said, called for the adoption of improved farming techniques and practices to boost crop yield.

He was speaking during the inauguration of UTZ Cocoa Farmers Association in the Ahafo-Ano North and Ahafo-ano South at Mankranso.

German NGO, UTZ, together with West Africa Fair Fruit and Care International have organized about 800 farmers in the two districts into an association to train them on modern farming technologies, proper farm management and record keeping.

The goal is to assist them to not only raise output but manage the expected returns that would come with this.

Mr Vincent Frimpong Manu, Country Manager of WAFF, said farmers in 10 districts were benefiting from the training progrmme.

He said it was time farming was seen as a business and managed as such to raise production and income levels.

Mr Vince McAleer, Manager of Sustainability and Certification, Amajaro Company Limited, a Licensed Cocoa Buying Company, said the old ways of doing things needed to change to bring in more rewards to the farmer.

He said it was through this that farming would become attractive to young people.

Source: GNA