Cocoa farmers unhappy with government’s failure to release bonuses

Opanyin Kweku Essel, the 2009 Central Regional Best Farmer, has said cocoa farmers in the Central Region are unhappy with government’s delay in releasing the second portion of the 2009/10 bonuses to them.

He said the situation had heightened confrontations between the farmers and their marketing clerks at their various societies and appealed to government to release the bonuses to calm situation.

Opanyin Essel said this at a meeting with the marketing clerks of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) at Swedru on Friday.

He said farmers are motivated with the bonuses and also see it as a financial support for the maintenance of their farms during the lean season.

Opanyin Essel said with the PBC incentive a package to farmers has enticed a lot of youth into the sector.

He appealed to the PBC to include in their package, a loan facility and spraying chemicals to help the farmers regularly maintain their farms.

Nana Kweku Appiah, Swedru District Manager of the PBC, assured the farmers of the government’s effort to release the bonuses to them.

Source: GNA