The Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) has planted 1,500 trees to help the government to achieve the objective of Greening Ghana with nursed trees from Form Ghana. Shade trees were supplied to 351 cocoa farmers being members of the association.
Priorly, farmers received training on planting techniques and maintenance of the seedlings to increase the survival rates of the planted trees. Since 2009, CAA has run a shade tree seedling distribution and training program with its members, and up to date over 242,000 shade trees have been supplied to the members for planting on their farms.
On Green Ghana Day, the association joined the rest of the subsidiary companies of the corporate founder, Africa Tiger Holding Limited to mark the day, by collaborating with cocoa farmers at Afosu and Ofoase – Ayirebi in the Eastern Region.
The objective of the tree planting exercise was to support the government’s agenda of greening Ghana and also in memory of the late founder of Cocoa Abrabopa Association Mr. Henri Wientjes.
They believe “Green Ghana” would help to preserve the ecosystem to aid the fight against the negative effects of climate change.
Currently, the country’s forest cover stood at 1.6 million hectares from 8.2 million hectares witnessed in the 1900s.
The Council Chairman of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA), Mr. Ismail Pomasi said it is important to restore the depleted forest cover, ravaged by negative human activities such as lumbering and illegal mining.
“We are supporting the government’s agenda; where trees we are planting today are economic trees.
We planted Mahogany, Emire, Mansonia Albizia, and Otie trees. The rationale for this intervention is to make an investment for our future children and our gallant cocoa farmers” he said.
Mr. Pomasi used the occasion to educate the community on the importance of planting trees more importantly in their cocoa farms.
“We also believe that if more efforts are made towards protecting the existing tree populations across the country, it will reinforce government’s idea of planting new trees and growing them”, he added.
Mrs. Rebecca Ayisi Asiedu, Council Member of Cocoa Abrabopa Association and Regional Representative for Eastern Region said it is only collective efforts that can help us restore our degraded forest and reforest Ghana.
“Swift reforestation is critical. The goal of 5 million trees set by the Government of Ghana is very necessary so we must all do our part.
There is no dispute that the woman farmer makes a vital contribution to the country’s economy; this is our time to help shape sustainable development in rural areas” she said to her colleague farmers.
The Operations Manager Mr. Andrew Roland Obosu and the Eastern Regional Manager for Cocoa Abrabopa Association Mr. Ebenezer Agbozo used the opportunity to thank the farmers for their continued support of policies and programs that will help restore and conserve forests and water bodies.
“As Managers at Cocoa Abrabopa Association, we are committed to enabling cocoa farmers in marginalised communities to alleviate the effects of climate change. To achieve this, our projects will continue to incorporate sustainable and livelihood enhancing practices” they said.
In attendance were also the Technical Coordinator (Ofoase – Ayirebi Operational Area) Mr. Samuel Kofi Sarfo, Child Development Officer of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (Kade, Ofase – Ayirebi Operational Area), Mr. Daniel Feda, and some cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region took part in ‘Green Ghana Day’ exercise.
