The new board has been tasked to address major concerns of cocoa farmers
An newly inaugurated 11-member board of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been tasked to assiduously address the concern of delayed payment to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
The call comes on the back of LCBs carting their cocoa produce from cocoa farmers without paying their what is due.
Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto speaking at the inauguration of the board charged members to ensure that farmers’ finance for farmers and cocoa production was apt in order to avoid incurring debts on the farmers.
“We know the problems facing the marketing of cocoa in this country; the role of foreign buyers and the very weak position of local LBCs in the purchase of cocoa. We need to look at how we’re going to make sure that the financing of the bigger crop is done without impeding on the finances of the farmers. We’ve had quite a lot of complaints from farmers about delayed payments due to the COVID-19 which caused a reduction in world demand for cocoa beans which meant that we couldn’t sell all the crops by the end of 2020,” he stated.
Newly appointed Board Chair of the COCOBOD, Peter Mac Manu on his part assured that the cocoa agency provides the requisite policy direction to make to ensure stakeholders in the cocoa value chain yield better results
, “There is more work to be done to bring farmer incomes to a level where the youth of our country will find cocoa farming attractive. It is our duty as a Board to provide policy direction that will lead to the attainment of this objective, and this duty we will discharge to the best of our abilities.”
He continued, “We will work hand in hand with management, staff, Licensed Buyers and all stakeholders to bring value to all actors within the cocoa value chain,” Peter Mac Manu said.
The new Board of COCOBOD consists of these members:
1. Peter Mac Manu – Chairman, COCOBOD Board
2. Joseph Boahen Aidoo – CEO, COCOBOD
3. Dr. Yaw Frimpong Addo – Deputy Minister, Food and Agriculture
4. Charles Adu Boahen – Minister of State at the Finance Ministry
5. Ernest Addison – Governor, Bank of Ghana
6. Herbert Krapah – Deputy Minster, Trade and Industry
7. Nana Obeng Akrofi – Farmer
8. Nana Johnson Mensah – Farmer
9. Nana Adwoa Dokua – Business woman
10. Edward Oko Ampofo – COCOBOD rep
11. Kwadwo Asante- MP, Suhum (President’s nominee)