The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has urged cocoa farmers nationwide to embrace hand pollination as a key technique to boost cocoa yields and improve their earnings.
This initiative is part of COCOBOD’s broader strategy to enhance the production of high-quality cocoa beans in Ghana while ensuring that farmers maximize their income.
Speaking at the launch of the 2024 national hand pollination program in Nzema Ainyinasi, Western South Region, COCOBOD CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo emphasized that active hand pollination, along with good agronomic practices such as pruning and the application of organic fertilizers, can significantly increase crop yields.
The program’s primary objective is to educate farmers on the benefits of manually transferring pollen from a male flower to a female flower of another cocoa tree, a task traditionally left to insects. “Now that prices are good on the international market, what’s needed is more yields to make farmers benefit. That’s why we’ve deliberately come up with the hand pollination program. So, all cocoa farmers should embrace it,” stated Mr. Aidoo.
The average cocoa yield per hectare in Ghana currently stands between five to eight bags. However, through hand pollination, some farmers in the Western South Region have reported yields of 20 to 30 bags per hectare. “Ordinarily, if you allow even pruned farms to fruit on their own, for the natural insects to do the pollination, you may end up getting about five to eight bags per hectare. But some farmers were producing between 20 bags and 30 bags per hectare. That’s where we want all our farmers to get to,” Mr. Aidoo explained.
He highlighted cases where cocoa trees produced over 2,000 fruits, with some even reaching up to 3,000 cherries. This demonstrates the potential of hand pollination to drastically increase cocoa yields.
Cocoa Farming as a Business
Mr. Aidoo encouraged farmers to view cocoa farming not just as a way of life but as a serious business. He urged them to invest more effort and resources into their farms to achieve better results. He also advised regular pruning of cocoa trees to prevent them from becoming too dense, which can create a conducive environment for diseases and pests. The use of motorized slashers and pruners can help increase sunlight and airflow to the trees, further boosting fruit production.
The COCOBOD CEO also cautioned against the use of mixed chemical cocktails, advising instead the use of organic manure, such as poultry manure, to improve soil nutrients and support higher yields. “We recommend using organic methods to enhance the soil’s health, which will, in turn, improve the productivity of the cocoa trees,” he said.
Testimonials from Farmers
Nana Amoako, the 2021 national best cocoa farmer, shared his experience with hand pollination. “I didn’t join the hand pollination program in 2017, but since I understood and started practicing it, it has increased my yields. When you effectively practice hand pollination, you can get at least 20 bags of cocoa per hectare,” he noted.
Similarly, Kwame Alex, a young farmer from Bompieso in the Western South Region, described how three years of education and assistance from extension officers helped him master hand pollination, significantly boosting his production and earnings.
“Prior to practicing hand pollination, I used to produce about 500 to 600 bags of cocoa from the 130-hectare out of a total of 160-hectare farm annually. But as I speak with you, I have about 3,250 bags of cocoa from my farm. So, I urge other cocoa farmers to be serious with hand pollination, prune their farms, and use organic manure.”
Kwame Alex
Meanwhile, farmers also called on COCOBOD to prioritize the construction of roads to cocoa farms, many of which are in poor condition, and to assist them in securing financial support. Mr. Aidoo responded by stating that with the completion of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, there is now some fiscal space to enable COCOBOD to renegotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and explore other funding sources to improve farm access roads.
The hand pollination initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing cocoa yields in Ghana. By adopting these practices, farmers can increase their productivity and income, contributing to the overall growth and sustainability of the cocoa industry.
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