The chief of Akyem Krodua in the Eastern Region, Baffour Kwame Anim II, has released a 60-acre land to the Ghana COCOBOD to be used for its Youth in Cocoa Project.
The offer formed part of a 500-acre land promised by the chief to attract young people in the area to cocoa farming.
Under the Youth in Cocoa Project, beneficiaries are supplied with free seedlings, fertilisers and some money as start-up capital and also trained to adopt modern farming practices by the COCOBOD.
Interacting with officials of the COCOBOD led by its Public Affairs Manager, Mr Noah Amenyah, at Akyem Krodua, Baffour Anim described the initiative by the company as laudable since most cocoa farmers were aging.
He said young people must be encouraged to go into cocoa farming to sustain the sector to make the country the major exporter of cocoa in the world.
The chief expressed concern over the growing migration of the youth from the area to the cities for non-existing jobs and called on them to “return home to take advantage of the gesture of the Ghana COCOBOD.”
“I could have sold the land but for the love for my people and the development of the area, I have decided to give it out for cocoa production,” he added.
Mr Amenyah said so far, GH¢50 million had been spent on over 20,000 beneficiaries of the Youth in Cocoa Project.
“Come next year, the amount will be increased to GH¢60 million to include more beneficiaries,” he stated.
According to the manager, the project was recording maximum success at Senkyem, near Assin Fosu in the Central Region, and Elubo in the Western Region, where a total of 16,000 people had benefitted.
Mr Amenyah said communities were also benefitting from the provision of schools, good drinking water and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) facilities.
He expressed the hope that other chiefs would emulate the shining example of Baffour Anim.
Source: ghanaweb
