Central Region farmers receive approved weighing scales for cocoa purchase

The Central Regional Branch of the Ghana Cocoa Coffee Shea-Nut Farmers Association has expressed its appreciation to the Cocobod and the Government for responding to their appeal for the reintroduction of approved weighing scales at cocoa purchasing centres.

According to the members, the re-introduction of the scales would stop cheating by some purchasing clerks who weigh cocoa with their own scales, which they suspect had been adjusted.

These were contained in a statement read at a media briefing at Agona Swedru on Friday.

Nana Kwesi Ofori, Central Regional Cocoa Chief Farmer, who read the statement on their behalf, said the scales had been certified by the Ghana Standard Authority.

Some of the scales were distributed to the district chief farmers at the briefing.

The chief farmer urged the District Cocoa Farmers to ensure that the scales in their various communities were not tampered with, saying, “when you encounter any, you should report such acts to my office immediately for action.”

The Regional Chief Farmer said the association would deal drastically with any person or group of persons caught to have connived with purchasing clerks to use the scales to cheat farmers.

Nana Karikari Addo, Central Regional Senior Quality Control Manager, who witnessed the programme, appealed to the farmers to always insist that only the approved scales were used at the depots to avoid being cheated.

Source: GNA