Cocoa farmers across the country have glorified the president, His Excellency, Addo-Dankwah Akuffo Addo for his initiative to process the country’s cocoa for export.
The President in a recent meeting held with the Cocoa Foundation during the 72nd General Assembly Meeting of the United Nation in New York, pledged to establish cocoa processing companies at cocoa growing areas in Ghana.
The main cocoa growing regions in the country include the Eastern, Ashanti and the Western Regions.
Nana Emmanuel Sarpong, President of the Asunafo North Municipal Cocoa co-operative and Marketing Union said, they will be very glad if the president will establish the advertised factories to encourage the country’s cocoa farmers to maximize their production.
He explained that though they intended establishing a cocoa processing factory by themselves, the probability of a lack of ready markets for their produce discouraged them from pursuing this exercise. To him, the president fulfilling his promises of establishing a cocoa factory would greatly relieve them of some challenges confronting the sector.
He further, urged the president to create the ready market by focusing its cocoa trading activities on the Northern African countries where they are not into cocoa-cultivation and marketing. This, he argues is ‘because Ghana has “always been cheated” by the Western countries as it exports cocoa in the primary state.’
According to Mr. Emmanuel Sarpong, Ghana creates employment opportunities for nationals of other countries at the expense of Ghanaians through the exportation of farm produce in its raw state; a development he blames on why a lot of Ghanaians remain unemployed and live in abject poverty.
He thus called on all hands to be on deck to support the president to make ensure that his vision comes to light.
Source: Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org
