MP quizzes Agriculture Minister on over-aged cocoa farms

The Member of Parliament for Amenfi West, Eric Afful, is looking forward to government making good his promise to pay affected cocoa farmers in his constituency.

His concerns follows a question he posed to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr.Owusu Afriyie Akoto on the floor of parliament on Wednesday, June 9 on when the government will release money to pay the affected cocoa farmers whose farms have been engaged by the Ghana COCOBOD for the programme of rehabilitation of over-aged cocoa farms in Ghana having regard to the season.

In response to the question, Dr.Afriyie Akoto stated that COCOBOD targeted a total of 91,400 hectares of diseased cocoa farms, for rehabilitation with financing from the African Development Bank/Credit Suisse (AfDB/CS) facility.

The rehabilitation entails treatment and replanting of cocoa affected by the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease(CSSVD).

In the current year 2021, COCOBOD has covered a total of 22,375.25 hectares of cocoa farms under the rehabilitation programme. A total of 10,310.681.54 has been paid to 11,289 affected farmers.

“Equally 418 landowners with a total land size of 454.48 hectares of cocoa farms have been compensated with an amount of GH₵454,480.00 at the time of reporting. Processes are still underway to pay additional landowners in due course” he said.