COCOBOD returns $250m to AfDB amid river contamination concerns

Joseph Boahen Aidoo, CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has revealed that the organization has refunded $250 million obtained from the African Development Bank for irrigation initiatives in cocoa farms.

The decision stemmed from advice provided by the Ghana Irrigation Authority, highlighting the infeasibility of the project due to river contamination caused by illegal mining activities, posing a threat

Read full articleto cocoa trees.

"When Cocoa Board went to the African Development Bank to secure some US$600 million, then we had to return $250 million. Part of that money was intended for irrigation.

"We commissioned the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority to do a pre-appraisal for our assessment and the report we brought was that almost all the rivers were contaminated," Aidoo stated.

He stressed the vulnerability of the cocoa industry until measures are implemented to address illegal mining, noting that many rivers in cocoa-growing regions are polluted, rendering the water unsuitable for cocoa cultivation.

This situation has led farmers to incur additional costs by transporting water from their homes to their farms, Aidoo added. He explained that polluted water poses a risk to cocoa trees, as spraying muddy water on leaves can block stomata, leading to leaf damage and tree mortality.

Furthermore, contaminated water cannot be used for irrigation without frequent filter changes, which imposes logistical and financial burdens on farmers.