The Programmes Manager of Conservation Alliance (CA), Mr. Raymond Owusu-Achiaw, and his organization have declared their support for the ongoing “End Use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides campaign” that seeks to promote the safe usage of only government-approved pesticides across the country.
According to him, research conducted by his organization (CA) showed that many farmers are unaware of the dangers associated with the abusive usage of pesticides.
He indicated that pesticides such as Confidor and Condo that are used in cocoa farming are as well misused by some of the vegetable farmers; posing a threat to humans lives.
“Why has Europe banned the use of certain pesticides and chemicals but still producing it for Ghana and Africa?” he quizzed.
The Programmes Manager says the struggle to end the use of highly hazardous pesticides is a duty of all and not only the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)
He stated that some of the pesticides supplied to cocoa farmers in Ghana have been phased-out in the European Union (EU) due to the dangers associated with those chemicals.
Citing Mozambique as an example, Mr. Owusu-Achiaw said Ghana can learn from the southern African country by banning some pesticides and encouraging the use of organic pesticides.
“We must all as a nation agree on a plan of action to end the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides in the country” he noted.
Mr. Osei Kwame, Country Director for Rainforest Alliance Ghana explained that Conservation Alliance (CA) collaborated with Rainforest Alliance (RA) under its Sector Partnership Program to implement a project to gain a better understanding of pesticide use within the cocoa sector in Ghana.
“Our work is to strengthen the alliance with other stakeholders (NGO’s, Media and FBO’s) as drivers of change in the sector” he added.
Ms. Ruth Adu-Acheampong and Mr. Agyeman Dwomoh officials from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana explained that disease and pest control should be based primarily on good agricultural practices and technologies.
“We need to intensify education and create more awareness on Highly Hazardous Pesticides risks on consumers and farmers”, she explained.
The Project Administrator for Ghana Agric & Rural Development Journalist Association (GARDJA) Mr. Quainoo Reuben sought to know how these Highly Hazardous Pesticides come into Ghana and Africa.
“If the EU believes these pesticides are Highly Hazardous; why are they still producing it? Who is importing these Highly Hazardous Pesticides into the country? Or is it business for some Cabals who don’t care about our health but only think of their profit?” he quizzed.
Farming, though not an attractive employment opportunity for many young individuals in the country, it is a blessing in disguise. Farming as a business is lucrative and at the same time very unattractive when approached with a cultural attitude.
Undoubtedly, we have few of the youths involved in farming. As recorded in The Ghana Census of Agriculture (GCA), 2017/18, only 29.7% of people engaged in agriculture are youths (15-35 years).
Despite a small percentage of youth involved in farming, there’s hope for those engaged. Since agriculture remains the backbone of Ghana’s economy, every other government initiate policies and programs basically to develop the sector.
In April 2017, the president of Ghana H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo initiated a flagship agriculture program called Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ). PFJ under the watch of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; the minister for Food and Agriculture is aimed at developing Ghana’s agriculture sector to create jobs and to move the country into a food secure state. Since its inception, the program has received a lot of attention from the media and has led in all agriculture discourse. The five years-long programs have other sister programs like the Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD). Working with farmers in diverse rural communities, here, I stand to share some of the impact and opportunities created by the program as well as the lapses and the way forward.
Land Accessibility. The country’s agricultural lands are underutilized because the means of production are hard to come by especially among the youth. However, one beautiful culture that exists in most rural communities is how they are willing to offer their lands to the youths for farming. In some communities, what one needs to do is to get one or two of these items; Kola, Schnapps, Skin of a Sheep, Palm wine, Pito (a local drink made from fermented corn), and One Hundred Ghana Cedis. With these requirements, a Chief can allocate as much as ten acres of land to one to farm arable crops.
The elders of these communities believe that, if even the dead keep increasing their numbers, how much more they the living. PFJ has even made most communities very open to youth farmers today. Some community Chiefs now advocate for youth involvement in the program since they are willing to give them lands to farm. Having access to land becomes much easier when a youth enters a community through the assistance of the various District Agriculture Departments.
Land Preparation. Since the commencement of the program, a huge number of farmers have benefited immensely from this life-transforming policy. Though there is no land preparation package attached to the policy, steps have taken to revamp the country’s agriculture mechanization services unit. For some districts and constituencies, the assembly or the Members of Parliament have provided tractors to support this initiative in their respective areas. These tractors plow between 40% to 50% discount of the original charge. This has equally reduced the cost of production by a significant margin.
Fertilizers. Soil nutrient depletion has been so drastic in our time. Hence, crop nutrient requirements in many cases must be supplemented from an organic or inorganic source. For ideal yields, maize must be supported with N.P.K at the growing stage and Urea at the tasseling stage. On averagely performing soils, farmers use 150kg of N.P.K and 50Kg of Urea per acre. The provision of subsidized fertilizer is a major pillar of the PFJ program. Aside from the unprecedented slashing of fertilizer prices by 50% subsidy, availability has also improved. The government now outsources from local producers.
These new N.P.K (+ TE) are with trace nutrients for better growth and yield of crops. Previously, imported N.P.K weren’t fortified with these trace nutrients. In the open market, 50Kg of N.P.K used to be sold between Ghc.150 to Ghc. 180 but the same quantity goes for Ghc. 80 under PFJ. Urea is equally Ghc. 80 under PFJ even though it is -sold between Ghc. 120 and Ghc. 160 in the open market. One significant change resulting from PFJ is a positive toll on the prices of fertilizers in the open market. While the prices of fertilizers have to fall, there’s equally a break from the overwhelming annual rise in the prices of fertilizers. This increased the number of farmers who access and used fertilizers to improve their yields.
Seeds. Improved seeds are an indispensable resource for agriculture development and growth. Since the initiation of PFJ, improved seed from both local and foreign sources have been made available to farmers. Top-notch corn seeds like Pannar, Lake, and Pioneer which were expensive for farmers are now sold at 50% of their original prices. Just like fertilizer, these improved seeds are available in the system. The advantage in planting these varieties under PFJ is that they give a high yield and they are more resistant to drought as compare to the traditional seeds our farmers plant.
Pests. Recently, the biggest enemy to maize farmers in Ghana is the Fall Army Worm (F.A.W). The devastating nature of the worm with an uncontrolled appetite for the corn at all stages of growth is very worrying. A number of proactive measures have been considered to combat the worm under PFJ to subdue the ripen effect of the worm on the corn. Educating farmers about the worm have been supported with the distribution of chemicals to spray the worms. The good news is that these chemicals since 2017 are freely given to the farmers at no cost through the various District Agriculture Departments. This has been a worthy relief to farmers. This has also given birth to innovative ways of using local herbs to control the worm.
Yield Improvement. There has been a meaningful improvement in the yields of corn for the past years. Farmers who planted hybrid varieties and apply the right amount of fertilizers on a timely basis have recorded an impressive improvement in their yields per acre. Currently, under optimum environmental conditions with the right agronomic practices, a farmer can harvest between 1.25 tons and 2 tons on an acre.
Storage and Marketing. Smallholder farmers continually struggle with the poor handling of their harvest. Storage is the next step after harvest when foods aren’t moved immediately to the market. While the country put up a warehouse closer to the farmers, new hope sparks in the heart of the farmers. The disruptive nature of our rural-urban market network in many instances compels farmers to sell at relatively low prices. Now farmers have the free will to sell their harvest to the National Buffer Stock. Farmers are mostly aware of the pricing of the National Buffer Stock which isn’t influenced by availability during harvesting season. In the open market, farmers are most likely to face poor pricing at the peak harvest period.
Apparently, there is an advantage in selling to National Buffer Stock since their prices are predetermined at the beginning of the season. This has increased the marginal profits of farmers since the effect of demand and supply on pricing is neutralized by this system. In addition, it has helped the marketing power of farmers and reduced the stress they go through to store and to sell.
Inadequate Mechanization Services. Surprisingly, some smallholder farmers at this age still practice the traditional methods of farming. Aside from availability problems, the cost of mechanization services is sometimes overwhelming for our poor farmers. Tractor services made available by some District Assemblies or MPs at affordable prices is being helpful. However, some farmers have the notion that the service is political, therefore, they do not want to patronize it.
Addressing this challenge will require the establishment of district-level agriculture mechanization centers. These centers should be well resourced to provide diverse mechanization services for farmers. This could be ‘Private-Government’ owned and managed to avoid the previous experience of mismanaged Agric station resources.
Unscrupulous retailing prices of seeds and fertilizers. Annually, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) announces the prices of seeds and fertilizers under PFJ at the onset of the season. Irrespective of the awareness created, some unscrupulous retailers still sell these inputs more than the stipulated prices. Many hide behind transportation and milk our poor farmers. Already, great steps have been taken for branding fertilizers and seeds for PFJ. Further arrangements should be made for the branding of imported hybrid seeds for easy identification. The supply of these inputs should have a lot of checks to ensure that farmers receive them at the right price.
Merchandising Government Free Chemicals. The alleged corruption at some of the District Agriculture Departments is demoralizing. Allegedly, some of the officers extort money from the farmers before delivering free chemicals from the government to fight the armyworm. Although some of the farmers see it as a token of appreciation, others also question the free nature of the government.
The Waiting Period. The state of our rural economies always puts farmers in need of emergency funds. Hence, the system where buffer stock buys and pay later is not favorable for many farmers. The National Buffer Stock should be well resourced to be in the position to buy with cash in hands. This would serve as a motivation, increase patronage, and boost their confidence level for high production.
Selective Chemical Package. Across the length and breadth of Ghana, weeds control in corn farms is a staid headache for many farmers. This significantly affects their yields since weeds compete with crops for space, nutrients, and sunlight. Aside from educating and skilling farmers on weed control, the provision of selective herbicide can help. A greater number of farmers use a few bottles to cover wider areas than they should, due to the cost involved. A little subsidy on these herbicides can help farmers purchase enough and support local producing companies.
On the side of the country where hunger and unemployment are predominant among the youth, the Planting for Food and Jobs policy should be harnessed to achieve the realization of its objectives to curtail the menace. The policy seems to have a positive effect on the farmers and the stakeholders who are both actively and passively involved, therefore, effort should be put in place to sustain the policy to continue to impact and transform the livelihoods of our farmers. Once we can maintain and develop it, farming would inevitably be enticing for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
Mr. Michael Zormelo, CEO of Omnifert, a wholly Ghanaian-owned indigenous leading agrochemical industry player, has been adjudged the Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2020 edition of the Ghana Cocoa Awards. The evening also honored Dominic Donkoh, Business Development Manager at Omnifert as the Marketing Personality of the Year.
Mr. Zormelo has led the company to become the leading brand in the fertilizer industry just less than half-decade ago of its establishment with its own fertilizer factory which was officially commissioned by the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last year.
“I am elated to win this award. This indicates that hard work, dedication, and perseverance produce dividends. When we started this journey, we anticipated growth but not as this phenomenal. This goes to show that a team that works together wins together,” Mr. Zormelo said.
He also congratulated Mr. Donkoh for his award and lauded the staff, management, and colleague board members of Omnifert for following the company’s vision despite the challenges faced along the way.
“Our objectives have not changed. Through our state-of-the-art factory we seek to serve not only Ghana, but also the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger through the provision of high-quality fertilizer at the right time and right price, targeting especially, smallholder and commercial farmers”, he added.
Further, we seek to improve agricultural productivity, incomes, and employment opportunities; establish efficient agriculture industry linkages in the aforementioned countries, and establish commercial farms to supply produce to meet gaps in Ghana’s local yield as well as for export,” he said.
Omnifert, a subsidiary of the Omni Group of Companies, focuses on improving the crop productivity in Africa by providing affordable fertilizers to farmers, establishing commercial-sized farms to produce crops such as cassava, millet, sorghum, maize, soya, etc. to bridge the gaps in the local supply as well as to conduct soil tests on farms so as determining specific fertilizer needs to each farm accurately.
Benefitting from synergies and technological know-how from sister company Omni Energy, he said one of the leading providers of Engineering and Value Added Oilfield Support Services in the Oil and Gas industry, Omnifert has been working to support the transformation of the agro-chemical industry in Ghana to contribute towards sustainable food security.
The Company combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Omnifert’s locally based ultra-modern blending facility is the first of its kind in Ghana. It was established to fulfill the Company’s deep-seated objective to play an important role in improving crop production in Ghana and Africa at large.
Omnifert’s approach is not only about providing affordable and quality fertilizer to farmers but focused on providing the right specifications of fertilizer according to the soil and crop types. By doing this, Omnifert demonstrates its commitment to improving agricultural productivity, incomes, and employment opportunities in Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of BEIT Farms Mr. Evans Larbi has urged farmers across the African continent to see farming as a serious business. He believes that agriculture plays a pivotal role when it comes to the economic development of this continent.
“The continent has the richest natural resources for agricultural production in the world, so why are we still importing junk foods into our continent” he quizzed.
Mr. Larbi made these remarks in an interview during the Africa Smallholder Farmers Summit 2020 with the theme; “Creating jobs for Africa Women and Youth through smallholder farming”.
Mr. Larbi pointed out that unlocking the country’s agricultural potential will create jobs as well as providing enough food for domestic supply, adding that the task was made more urgent by the vast sums spent on food imports, with Africa spending an annual total of about US$35bn on importation.
However, a strategy change will be necessary in order to achieve this goal. “Agriculture must cease being treated as a development programme; agriculture must henceforth be treated as a business to change the status quo”, he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Okata Farms Mrs. Mabel Akoto Kwudzo, the 2017 second national best farmer believes that the need has come to comprehensively reposition agriculture as a business among the youth, including its presence in the various levels of education.
Mrs. Kwudzo said that along with creating a youth in agriculture policy which would address some of the long-standing issues that face the youth in agriculture such as access to land and funding for agriculture, marketing and information about the industry, the issue of how agriculture is taught in schools will also need to be addressed.
“There should be a rethink and bigger approach and that start in our education sector,” she said.
The 2020 Best Farmer, Youth in Agriculture for the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region underscored the urgency for consistent advocacy on the challenges confronting smallholder farmers and entreated the media to mainstream the sector in the national agenda.
“Agriculture is not a secondary profession neither a fallback profession nor something you do when you don’t have anything else to do. We need to give agriculture a place in our education curriculum and not just to be taught to our students on the basis of primary agriculture,” she bemoaned said.
The Managing Campaigner for EcoCare Ghana Mr. Obed Owusu-Addai and his organization have thrown their support behind the ongoing “Securing Equitable Living Income for Cocoa Farmers Campaign” that’s seeking to eliminate extreme poverty among cocoa farmers in West Africa region.
Mr. Owusu-Addai says the struggle to eliminate extreme poverty among cocoa farmers in West Africa region is a duty of all and not just the Ghana Cocoa Board and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
“We must clarify the regulatory frameworks governing cocoa production and trade, and engage relevant stakeholders to discuss and develop concrete workable strategies and roadmaps to address pricing challenges in the cocoa sector; with emphasis on guaranteeing sustainable cocoa production,” he noted.
The Managing Campaigner for EcoCare Ghana made these remarks at an International Cocoa conference with the theme; “Securing Equitable Living Income for Cocoa Farmers”.
The two days’ conference brought together participants from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and through the power of technology stakeholders in Europe through an online platform called zoom here in Accra.
Mr. Owusu-Addai pointed out that Cocoa is a very important agro-commodity in West Africa, contributing significantly to the socio-economic well-being of many households in the sub-region.
“ECOWAS member countries accounted for about 68% of global cocoa supply in 2019/2020 cocoa season, out of global production of 5 million tonnes in the 2019/2020 cocoa season of which 3.4 million tonnes were harvested from West Africa alone” he revealed.
He said that according to figures from the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO); Africa’s cocoa-producing countries capture just 3% of global chocolate industry revenue.
“Although Côte d’Ivoire produced 2.1 million tonnes of cocoa in 2017 (44% of global output), it brought in just $3.3bn from trade in an industry valued at $103.3bn in 2017” he indicated.
According to him, the recent cocoa barometer report, which depicts the distribution of the cocoa sector profits along its value chain, observed that unfair distribution of value and power in the cocoa value chain are part of the root causes of extreme poverty for cocoa farmers in West Africa.
He added that the cocoa supply chain is increasingly dominated by a select group of large corporations where mergers and takeovers have resulted in just a few companies dominating up to 80% of the whole value chain, while farmers lack a sufficiently organized voice to be strong actors.
“Almost all West African cocoa farmers live below globally defined poverty levels. In Côte d’Ivoire the world’s largest producer of cocoa, a farmer should earn four times his current income in order to reach the global poverty line of $2 a day. Despite all the efforts in cocoa at the moment, the core of the problem is still not being addressed; the extreme poverty of cocoa farmers, and their lack of a voice in the debate” he said.
The Secretary, National Board of Directors of WCFO Ghana Chapter, Moses Djan Asiedu, recommended more training on good agricultural practices and concerted extension services to support sustainable cocoa production and improves the farmer’s lot.
The Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) Coordinator Sandra Sarkwah underscored the urgency for consistent advocacy on the challenges confronting cocoa growers and entreated the media to mainstream the cocoa sector in the national agenda.
“The cocoa advocacy initiative must be guided by the national interest to engender a holistic improvement at the various stages of the cocoa value chain for the benefit of players and the economy in general,” she said.
The conference was organized by EcoCare Ghana in collaboration with ClientEarth, TaylorCrabbe Initiative, Fern, and Ghana Civil-society Cocoa Platform (GCCP).
The conference is funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development’s (DfID) Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) Programme.
The Ada Songhor Salt Project is to soon take off following Parliament’s ratification of its mining lease.
The project, with a production capacity of between 130,000 tonnes to 200,000 tonnes, is expected to boost employment and economic activities within the Ada area of the Greater Accra Region.
The Mankralo of Ada, Nene Agudey Obichere who addressed a press conference on behalf of the chief of Ada, Nene Abram Kabu III, lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo for fast-tracking ratification of mining leases for the project.
He noted that his people had been deprived of access to the river for both fishing and salt-mining.
He said the absence of commercial salt mining in the area had deprived his people of employment, following the project’s demise.
He said the government canceled the lease agreement in 1985 after clashes with locals, and later set up the Songhor Salt Project to continue with the salt mining – but the project was deprived of resources.
“I am further delighted to say that Parliament, after going through its due process, has ratified these agreements in favour of Electrochem Ghana Limited (EGL) associated with our preferred investor,” he said.
The leases will last for a term period of 15 years, which may be renewed after the expiration of the term subject to the minerals and mining laws of Ghana.
To avoid a repeat of similar clashes, the chief said the project and EGL had agreed to engage engineers to demarcate and set aside specific areas for local mining, in consultation with stakeholders.
In addition, EGL is obliged to do large pans in the areas that would be identified, which upon mining would be sold back by his people at prevailing prices to EGL.
Local content. In terms of local content, EGL is obliged to source both skilled and unskilled labour forces from Ada first and give the Ada Traditional Authority representation on the board to oversee the smooth-running of the project.
He urged residents in and outside of Ada to have confidence in the project, and ensure that it benefits the entire area.
Ratification. It is to be recalled that three mining lease agreements granting mineral rights to an investor – Electrochem Ghana Limited – to dig for, mine, and produce salt at Ada Songor area in the Greater Accra Region, were approved by Ghana’s Parliament.
The mining lease agreements were in respect of the Ada Songor Salt Project (Ada West Lease Area [Ada Songor]); the Ada Songor Salt Project (Ada East Lease Area [Ada Songor ‘B’]); and the Ada Songor Salt Project (Ada East Lease Area [Ada Songor ‘C’]).
They were laid in Parliament for ratification on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, pursuant to Article 268(1) of the Constitution and Section 5(4) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
Mr. Danquah Addo-Yobo, West Africa Regional Director, Yara receiving the awards with his team.
Yara Ghana, the leading supplier of premium fertilizer products received two awards during the Ghana Cocoa Awards 2020 at Kempinski Hotel, Accra.
During 2020 Ghana Cocoa Awards night 42 awards (comprising 30 competitive and 12 Honorary awards) were presented to distinguished Stakeholders, who, regardless of the COVID-19 Pandemic, held the value chain uninterrupted.
Out of these 42 awards, Yara Ghana emerged as the Agro Input Brand of the Year 2020 and the Agro Input Company of the Year 2020 among its competitors.
Indubitably for the awards, Yara Ghana engages major stakeholders in the cocoa sector and supported the country’s goal of reaching 1 million metric tonnes. Possibly, with the introduction of the “Asaase Wura” cocoa fertilizer and YaraLiva Nitrabor, many farmers have improved their soil fertility and thus increased yield and income.
Its contribution to the cocoa sector by supplying high-quality products to farmers and placing farmers at the centre of a consistent knowledge-based approach to improve their yields and quality ushered the company as the winner of the awards category.
Yara Ghana’s technical support for farmers on its Yara Crop Nutrition Concept which focuses on knowledge, portfolio combination, and application competence has abetted farmers and elevated their profit in a sustainable manner.
Yara Ghana’s contribution to the cocoa sector could not be overlooked than to recognize the company with the deserving awards.
Stakeholders in Conservation Agriculture (CA) held discussions at a two-day summit in Accra, to develop a consolidated Manual for CA in Ghana. The engagement, funded by the European Union’s Resilience Against Climate Change (REACH) Project, aimed to review the myriad of existing CA manuals in Ghana to develop a standardized one that serves as a one-stop reference document for stakeholders.
Conservation Agriculture is a sustainable approach to agricultural production which aims to protect soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of natural resources, water, and air, whilst improving yields. CA is based on three core principles: minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of permanent soil cover, and use of crop rotations with a diversity of crop species.
The development of a consolidated CA manual is in line with component 2 of the REACH Project implemented by GIZ, which among other things would seek to ensure climate-smart livelihoods by promoting CA at the institutional, communal, and individual level.
The manual will then form the basis for the design of a curriculum for training agricultural extension workers at the Damongo Agricultural College. Such a course is foreseen to be replicated in other educational and training institutions in the country. This would strengthen the extension services for farmer training in conservation agriculture in the face of a changing and variable climate, particularly in the Northwest.
The CA discussion summit brought together stakeholders from Government Institutions, Development Partners, Non-Governmental Organizations, Research Institutions, and Academia to build consensus on the concept, structure, content, and chapters of the manual. This follows the formulation of a draft concept and chapters after collecting data on already existing manuals and documents on Conservation Agriculture.
In a welcoming speech, the Team Leader for the Project, Florian Winckler stated that “the EU-REACH project is happy to contribute to government’s efforts aimed at developing the agricultural sector especially in light of the looming climate change issues. The development of the consolidated CA manual for Ghana will be beneficial to all stakeholders, especially in the agricultural sector”.
“The REACH Project takes a keen interest in the improvement of the livelihoods of the rural people who largely depend on agriculture and most importantly through climate-smart practices…” Mr. Winckler added.
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have set their price tag for cocoa to counter unfair trade in the international market.
To overcome control by multinational foreign companies, the two countries partnered in 2019 and agreed on a new market price for cocoa at US$2,600 per tonne, with a living income differential of US$ 400 per tonne should price drop.
EcoCare Co-founder and Managing Campaigner in West Africa, Obed Owusu-Addai, said despite the countries contributing to the global market, cocoa farmers still live under the poverty line.
“The partnership of the two countries intends to protect and safeguard the welfare of cocoa farmers by guaranteeing them a fair price for their cocoa beans,” Owusu-Addai said at the ongoing Fourth African Conference of Science Journalists.
He said farmers get three percent of the cocoa and chocolate earnings. As a source of livelihood in West Africa, cocoa – a large bean-shaped fruit from the chocolate tree – has health benefits that include improved cholesterol and blood sugar level, and reduced inflammation.
It is also used as a chocolate flavor in foods. Owusu-Addai said processors, supermarkets, marketing companies, and manufacturers earn 73 percent of the revenue, leaving the farmers that grow the crop on two to five acres of land with almost nothing.
He said at a virtual conference that although the multibillion industry was benefiting from the trade, they were against paying extra amounts to avoid incurring additional costs.
The activist said through a lobby, the World Cocoa Foundation, and the international buyers sought to avoid the new prices through excuses of sustainability programmes.
He said the two countries threatened to cancel all sustainability programmes if the buyers refuse to pay the US $400 living income differential per tonne of cocoa beans.
Owusu-Addai said Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana are the current major exporters of raw cocoa to the European Union market, contributing to 74 percent of production in Africa.
The Ivoirians produce 54 percent and the Ghanaians 20 percent of the exports. “The major importers are the Netherlands, United States of America, Germany, and Belgium who consume cocoa from small-scale farmers and large-scale plantations,” he said.
In 2019, the cocoa market injected US$12.1 billion into the economies of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, while the chocolate market generated over US$ 130.7 billion.
The farmers in Cote d’Ivoire benefited from a 21 percent increase in farm gate prices by the government.
“Before 2016, the farm gate prices dropped drastically due to international prices control,” said Owusu-Addai. In Ghana, the government had capped prices at GH515 per 64kg bag for a continuous four years in the same period. “But with the new partnership and agreement, the prices in Ghana rose to GH660 (USD113) per bag, that is a 28 percent increment,” said Owusu- Addai.
He said the countries’ initiative to regulate prices through a partnership can be replicated in other African countries that trade in commercial export crops such as coffee in the East African region. “For success to regulate prices in the European Union, mutual trade partnership is the proven way to go,” he said.
Story by: Bozo Jenje Bozo and Nana Yaw Reuben Jnr.
The 42 Award winners of the 2nd Ghana Cocoa Awards.
Cocoa is the chief agricultural export of Ghana and Ghana’s main cash crop. Ghana is the second-largest cocoa exporter in the world.
Ghana’s economy largely depends on agriculture which accounts for nearly 30 percent of GDP and about 60 percent of all employment of which cocoa contributes to about 10 percent of agricultural GDP. Of this immense contribution from the sector to the economy that the Cocoa Post has organized the 2nd maiden Ghana Cocoa Awards Night to honor the true heroes behind Ghana’s economic backbone.
Speaking at the prestigious event, Nana Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim IV, the King of Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area, and the Chairman for the event welcomed the distinguished guests and called for patronizing and promoting cocoa by consuming a cocoa drink at the government institutions instead of tea and coffee.
Nana Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim IV urged Ghanaians to promote cocoa consumption to serves as an incentive to the pioneers in the cocoa sector. “To be a pioneer is paid for, and when we leave this event we should ensure that this God-giving product is actually promoted by us by ensuring consumption of cocoa products”, Nana said.
“We all know cocoa was born here and raised for the world but brazing this socialization process, are you part of the solution or part of the problem?”, he quizzed. He entreated all to support and form part of the solution to promote the cocoa sector.
Adding to the promotion and consumption of cocoa, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo said Ghana produces cocoa beans but a lot of Ghanaians do not take cocoa products. “When you go for functions, I am sure a lot of you would have taken tea or coffee already, you don’t ask for cocoa. When there are functions, there are tea and coffee breaks but hardly do you see cocoa break”, Hon. Boahen Aidoo echoed.
He explained the nutritional benefits of cocoa beans and the need to engage cocoa in our daily meal, “cocoa is a very important crop that we know very little about, essentially, cocoa has anti-aging properties, thus antioxidants which prevent diabetes, cancer and protect the body from all manner of cardiovascular diseases”.
Hon. Boahen Aidoo assured that the current administration of the Ghana Cocoa Board in few years to come would make it possible for cocoa to be the main food on every Ghanaian child’s table. He counseled both the young individuals and the old to patronize the chocolate that has a high concentration of cocoa for its benefits.
With its financial benefits, Hon. decried of the copious amount of revenue in the industry, yet Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire that produce about 60 percent of cocoa beans for the world gain marginal income from it. “When you look at the cocoa value chain is worth more than $100 billion and Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are producing around 60 percent of world cocoa beans, meanwhile, the two countries together earn less than 5 percent out of $100 billion”, he bemoaned.
The actual worth of cocoa is found not in the primary sector of production he said, but at the secondary and tertiary levels of production. He beseeched the sector players and the stakeholders to add value to the cocoa beans to amass the worth that the industry presents.
To harness the cocoa industry for economic resiliency, Mr. Yofi Grant, the CEO of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) said the government has instituted a plan to protect the farmers by implementing certain policies including Cocoa Stabilization Plan Policy, and Free Fertilizer Distribution Policy. These policies are expected to improve the low income of farmers and eventually affect the farmers’ lives more positively than before.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Yofi Grant said Ghana would no longer become a mere producer and exporter of cocoa beans instead, there are policies geared towards the processing of cocoa would be championed. “The government would be engaged in finance and corporative system with a capital outfit as it has begun since cocoa was here, provision of support services to the cocoa sector, cocoa haulage, warehousing and partnership with the existing local processing companies for value addition to our cocoa beans”, he submitted.
According to him, the GIPC mandate is to market the cocoa products such as cocoa shower gel, shea butter, soaps as well as cocoa gin and brandy along the supply chain.
Mr. Kojo Hayford, founder of the Ghana Cocoa Awards thanked the invited guests for honoring the invitation to be part of the special occasion. He mentioned that the awards are basically in recognition of the individual as well as the collective roles played towards the sustenance of the cocoa sector in Ghana over the years.
“The Ghana Cocoa Awards was instituted as against the background that Ghana’s niche as the producer of premium quality cocoa would not have been possible without the critical roles of various stakeholders (like your good selves) play to keep the value chain unbroken”, he voiced.
He expressed his profound gratitude to the stakeholders who worked tirelessly to support the government’s effort amid the pandemic. “We appreciate the difficulties the global community has faced due to the ramifications of this Pandemic. However, amidst the far-reaching effects of COVID-19, you have not let the cocoa sector down. Some of you supported the government’s efforts at containing the disease and we are proud of you. A lot of you donated to support COCOBOD’s efforts at protecting our gallant cocoa farmers from contracting the virus”, he expressed.
The Ghana Cocoa Awards 2020 awarded 42 distinguished stakeholders (comprising 30 competitive and 12 honorary awards) who, regardless of the COVID-19 Pandemic, held the value chain uninterrupted at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra.
