The Leadership of the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association have made it clear to the Former President John Dramani Mahama that, their suffering started under the leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and have since been suffering under every government including Mahama’s administration
According to the cocoa farmers,Former President John Mahama and Akufo-Addo Administration have done nothing exceptional to better their living conditions.
Mr. Mahama, a flag bearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the Akufo-Addo administration has ignored the policies the NDC put in place to secure for them a favourable return for their produce.
Speaking with party faithfuls at Tepa in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr. Mahama said “all the policies we put in place to improve the livelihood of cocoa of farmers have been abandoned by this government. The untold hardship on cocoa farmers under this administration is disheartening.”
This cocoa season, the government again maintained the producer price at GHc 7,600 per tonne, which has been met with criticism by the NDC Minority in Parliament.
“Prices of commodities have shot up. Ordinarily, it should benefit cocoa farmers but that is not the case. Why is it that for the past two years, producer prices have not been increased. Not even GHc1. 00 has been added,” Mr. Mahama lamented.
Meanwhile the president of Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association, Mr Anane Boateng speaking on Rite Morning Ride said cocoa farmers are not respected and successive government do not put in place measures the will improve the living standard of the cocoa farmers.
He said the former administration led by the Former president John Dramani Mahama gave fertilizer to cocoa farmers freely but ended up into the hands of party executives therefore did not get to the targeted farmers to achieve the purpose meant for which is apply to every party that comes to power.
Mr Anane further lamented that, they have pushed for the government to establish a pension scheme for cocoa farmers but to no avail.
He therefore appealed to successive governments to pay critical attention to the survival of the agricultural sector because it’s the main contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employs more than half of the work force of the country.
By: Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org/austinofori.addo@gmail.com
