Cocoa farmers in the Wassa Amenfi West District of the Western Region are accusing some officers of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of massive corruption in the distribution of fertilizer to farmers.
They are alleging that some COCOBOD officials charged each farmer GHC 100 as a prerequisite to getting fertilizer.
Some of the farmers who spoke to Citi News claimed they were made to pay the amount but they are yet to be supplied with the fertilizer.
“They took GHC 100 each from us with the explanation that the COCOBOD authorities will come and supply us with the fertilizers,” an angry farmer told Citi News.
She continued saying, “since we paid the money, we have not heard anything from them up till now and so we are very upset.”
Another farmer also narrated to Citi News that although the officers measured the size of her farm which is a basic requirement, she was not supplied with the product despite paying GHC 100.
“When the officers came here, they said I didn’t qualify to be supplied with the fertilizers. They took measurement of my farm but they said I did not qualify so they did not give me some of the fertilizer but I paid,” she fumed.
In 2014, COCOBOD introduced a free fertilizer initiative which was aimed at supplying free fertilizer to cocoa farmers to boost production.
According to COCOBOD, a substantial number of cocoa farmers in the country were unable to afford and properly utilize fertilizer.
