The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is set to distribute 2.3 million hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers in the Assin Fosu Area to increase yield.
Mr. Isaac Sarfo Afram, the Assin Fosu District Cocoa Officer of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), said the move is to boost cocoa production in the country.
He noted that pollinators had been trained to support farmers at a cost between the farmers and the pollinators, while trained Cocoa Extension Officers were to assist the farmers in increasing productivity to enhance their livelihoods. Mr. Afram pledged that COCOBOD would continue its educational programmes in the communities to enable farmers to access technological information.
Seedling distribution is to ensure cocoa value chain sustainability
He said the country practices an integrated farming system, where cocoa is mixed with other crops. He advised cocoa farmers to continue practicing the organic farming system to keep the integrity of the country’s cocoa in the international market.
He entreated cocoa producers to continue adhering to the campaign against climate change by promoting a zero deforestation programme.
“The programme is aimed at preserving vegetation and environment and ensuring the sustainability of the cocoa value chain,” he said.
He also encouraged farmers to adopt hybrid cocoa seedlings on their farms and the youth to go into cocoa farming and take advantage of COCOBOD intervention of free distribution of early maturing and high yielding cocoa seedlings, free distribution of agrochemicals, fertilizers, pruning machines along with other inputs.
Manual for Cocoa Production Developed
Early this year, the ‘Cocoa soils project’ team developed a manual for cocoa farmers to guide them in their farming activities for higher productivity.
The manual, which focuses on addressing issues under four key thematic areas: productivity, deforestation, environmental protection, and health of cocoa producers, has been hailed by the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board, Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo.
As the Ghana Cocoa Board continues to seek and adopt sustainable methods of cocoa farming, the Training Manual titled, ‘Managing Soils for Increased Productivity and Decreased Deforestation in Cocoa’ has been praised by many experts for acknowledging and addressing key challenges relating to the efficient use of farmlands within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo expressed optimism that the manual will help address practices that reduce the nutritional value of farmlands.
He recounted a recent field visit to the Western North Cocoa Region revealed that trees cut down as part of the National Cocoa Farm Rehabilitation Programme have been cleared from farmlands and sold to traders as firewood.
“It is unfortunate that the trees cut during the farm rehabilitation exercise, which could have served as a reservoir of nutrition for replanted trees and food crops have been cleared by farmers out of ignorance. I am happy that the manual has captured practices to maintain and restore soil fertility, to help tackle such problems.”
Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo.
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