Cocoa farmers in Ashanti Region complain about delay in syndicated loan

Cocoa farmers in the Ashanti Region have complained about their inability to access the syndicated loan to aid their work.

According to the farmers, they appreciate the government’s decision to increase the price of cocoa bags, but they have to do more to make their work easier.

They said they currently do not have money to buy cocoa beans because COCOBOD has yet to release the syndicated loan for them to use in their operations, and that has even made it difficult for them to cater to their families.

“I have already harvested four bags, and I want to pay many people who worked on them, but I haven’t been able to do that because the money is yet to come. We are pleading with the government to release the money because we have a lot of people to take care of,” one farmer said on Rainbow Radio Accra.

“Now that the cocoa money hasn’t come, it has become a big issue for us, and we are currently facing hardship and our children are suffering as a result. Even now, if we are sick, it will be difficult for us to take care of ourselves without money, so we want the government to give us the money”, another farmer said.

Ishmael Pomasi, the chairman of the Council of Cocoa Farmers in Abrabopa, urges COCBOD to release the funds that have not been paid since September 2023 because they cannot work without them.

“Since September till date, COCOBOD hasn’t released the syndicated loan, and that is affecting what we do. The farmer has already offloaded their cocoa bags and is waiting to be paid so that they can also take care of their families and the people who worked on the farm, so we are urging the government to do the needful”, he said.