By Buertey Francis BORYOR
At National Farmers’ Day, 2024 awards ceremony, held in Accra, Ghana’s cocoa farmers expressed joy- as President Nana Akufo-Addo announced an increase in the cash crop’s producer price from GH₵3,000 to GH₵3,100 per 64kg bag.
This represents a minor increase of 3.3 percent over the previous rate announced in September for the 2024/2025 crop season.
The GH₵49,600 per tonne adjustment aims to align cocoa prices with market realities and provide further support to producers.
On the night, Alex Kwame, a 46-year-old dynamic cocoa farmer from the Prestea- Huni Valley district in the Western region was adjudged the National Best Cocoa Farmer for the 2023/2024 Crop Year. He owns 26 different farms, totalling an area of 52. 18 hectares.
Mr. Kwame, while speaking to the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) after the event- expressed joy over the new cocoa producer price increase- describing it as unexpected and heartwarming. Additionally, he was grateful to the President for giving education scholarship to wards of the commodity’s producers.
“In fact, this award is a ‘much coveted’ one, so I am extremely happy for being part of the recipients. I will go back to Huni Valley and work extra hard, and continue to encourage the youths to go into cocoa farming- as it has now become a lucrative venture,” he also said.
For his impact in cocoa farming, Kwame received a Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Pick-up, citation plaque, standard pruner, motorised sprayer and many more.
Similarly, Solomon Tohola- a promising cocoa farmer from Asin Fosu in the Central region, emerged the National Most Promising Young Cocoa Farmer for the year under review.
He boasts 35.62 hectares of cocoa farm, and within a space of 7 years, his vertical productivity increased from an average of 1,600 kilograms per hectare to 4,060.64 kilograms per hectare.
Mr. Tohola, in an interview with the B&FT– expressed gratitude to the President and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for listening to cocoa growers’ concerns.
“I am having mixed feelings of surprise and happiness, because was not expecting such an announcement at this time. I came here just for an award but surprisingly, the President made this unprecedented, heartwarming announcement. As cocoa farmers, we only experience such price increases during the commodity’s open season.
“The new cocoa producer price would stabilise our incomes and improve our livelihoods- especially considering the severe economic hardships we are now facing. It would also encourage more people, particularly the youth to go into cocoa farming,” he added.
For his hard work and dedication to cocoa farming, he received a Single Cabin Mini Truck, citation plaque, tricycle, standard pruner, motorised sprayer, and many more.
The National Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer award was given to Yaa Adjeley- a 67year-old cocoa farmer from Wassa Congo in the Western region.
Madam Adjeley, in an interview with the B&FT– expressed gratitude to Government and the Cocobod for the honour done her, urging all- particularly, the youth to go into the cash crop’s production to turn their fortunes around.
She boasts forty (40) acres of plantain and cocoyam, twenty (20) acres cassava, twenty (20) acres of rice and ten (10) acres of vegetable farm. Additionally, she has thirty (30) pigs, sixty (60) sheep, five (5) goats, fifty-two (52) rabbits, six (6) cattle, and two hundred (200) local fowls. She also owns a fishpond- stocked with four thousand (4,000) catfish and an estimated stock of 1,600 snails.
For her effort in ensuring food security, she also received a Single Cabin Mini Truck, citation plaque, tricycle, standard pruner, motorised sprayer, among others.
All other deserving awardees in the cocoa category were honoured according to their contribution in ensuring food security and a vibrant cocoa sector.
Meanwhile, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, a 70-year-old from the Sekyere Central district of the Ashanti Region was adjudged the Overall National Best Farmer. The septuagenarian- whose farming journey began 50 years ago owns the North American farms with 168 workers cultivating diverse crops including cocoa and cashew. He received one million Ghana cedis as part of his reward.
The 40th edition of the National Farmers’ Day was on the theme “Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security”, emphasising the country’s commitment to adopting agricultural practices that effectively tackle the challenges of climate change. Its Awards Night Ceremony, witnessed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo honour outstanding farmers across 16 award categories.
This year’s celebration date was moved from the traditional first Friday in December to November 8- due to the upcoming general elections, and was preceded by a 5-day National Agricultural Fair, Agrifest Ghana 2024, from November 4 to 8, 2024.
