COCOBOD urges farmers to develop action plans   

Crops and livestock farmers have been advised to develop short, medium and long term action plans to guide their agribusinesses and help sustain investments.
Community Extension Agent of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Frank Amenyo, said this would also augment and sustain their incomes and help them overcome poverty.
Mr. Amenyo said the lack of actions plans, which could serve as benchmark and roadmap for investments, was the reason why small holder farmers could not sustain large scale production and were therefore living in poverty.
He made the call at a Farmers’ Business School (FBS) training session organized by COCOBOD for cocoa farmers in the Sekyere Kumawu District at Kumawu.
The FBS is a school established by COCOBOD in collaboration with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) to help provide business skills and knowledge to farmers in cocoa growing communities.
The goal is to help them manage their farms, as business ventures for better incomes.
He called on the farmers to consider their farms as businesses and recognize their positions as resource managers who needed to take prudent and professional decisions to soar production and investments.
Mr. Amenyo also urged the farmers to employ good agronomic practices and seek consistent and prompt technical advice from extension officers, especially in the areas of pollination, pruning and spraying of the cocoa trees in their farms.
“This would complement your well-prepared action plans for increase in growth, size and profitability.
Nana Akosuah Benpomaah, the Sekyere Kumawu District Chief Farmer, thanked the government for the education and support to the farmers through the FBS and urged all the farmers to put into practice all the lessons learnt in order to enhance productivity, returns and sustainability of their investments.
Source: GNA