Former CEO tasks COCOBOD to maintain production sustainability

Mr Isaac Osei, Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin has tasked Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to initiate pragmatic steps to go beyond the cocoa production figure recorded in the 2010/2011 cocoa season.

Mr Osei said the announcement by the COCOBOD that cocoa purchases within the period, which stood at 1,024,000 metric tonnes should delight Ghanaians because the country had applied itself to attain a specific goal and is working diligently towards achieving it.

Mr Osei, said this should be a catalyst for the country to make the necessary investment to address production sustainability in the future.

The Subin MP, who was a former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD made this known in statement he presented on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday on the state of the industry.

He commended COCOBOD for exceeding the one million metric tonnes target for the season and said the achievement holds important lessons for poverty reduction and the modernisation and development of the agricultural sector.

Mr Osei called on the stakeholders to deal with issues such as the challenges of chemical residue and child labour associated with cocoa plantations.

He suggested the need for value addition to the cocoa crop and enhanced domestic consumption of cocoa products as well as the exploitation of niche markets to garner optimum benefit from that agricultural sub-sector.

Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, MP for Asawase who upheld the statement said since cocoa contributes significantly to Ghana’s development, value addition to the crop exports should be seen as the way out to derive optimal gains from the crop.

He suggested the need for the creation of cocoa courts to expediently deal with issues affecting the industry.

Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia expressed the need for Ghana to address the social issues besetting the industry to place Ghana in an advantageous position to reap the most favourable benefits.
Source: GNA