Financial analyst Sydney Casely Hayford is calling for the immediately replacement of the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni.
Consistently for some years now the Cocoa sector has been underperforming and to to him this underperformance should be attributed to the COCOBOD Boss, he said this to the media. President John Dramani Mahama appointed Dr. Stephen Opuni in November 2013 to head COCOBOD.
Under his tenure, however, the cocoa sector which is Ghana’s leading foreign exchange earner has been buffeted by several challenges including fatigue of cocoa trees and unpredictable rainfall pattern that COCOBOD insiders say destroys cocoa flowers before they become pods.
Meanwhile, Rite News speaking to Nana Kwadwo Agyemang, chief cocoa farmer Twifo-Praso, has noted that the cocoa production is dwindling after the turn of the former president Kuffour.
According to him, the cocoa production was about 1000 metric tones yearly in terms of production, but since the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) took over in, the sector has declined to the production of 800 metric tons a year.
He said though, weather conditions may be one of the factors affecting the cocoa production, but Ghana Cocoa Board should make sure that they strengthen programs like mass cocoa spraying exercise to the farmers ensuring that, it will help the production of cocoa in the country.
Nana Agyemang has also called for immediate replacement of Dr. Stephen Opuni, CEO of the Ghana COCOBOD with a competent and loyal person who will seek the welfare of cocoa farmers in the country.
Source: ritefmonline.org
