President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a daring proposal to increase Ghana’s cocoa output capacity by 200,000 hectares of cocoa fields.
On Saturday, May 31, the president, who is now on his nationwide Thank You tour and is currently in the Ahafo Region, made an announcement highlighting his government’s dedication to rebuilding the once-thriving cocoa industry.
“Plans are underway to revamp the collapsed cocoa sector. Incentives will be provided to our hardworking farmers to increase cocoa production. We aim to add 200,000 hectares of cocoa to Ghana’s output to increase the income of our farmers,”he stated.
He also revealed that Randy Abbey, the CEO of COCOBOD, had told him that a new cocoa producer price would be revealed in August.
He promised farmers that the price would be “a very good price.” “Therefore, those of you without cocoa farms, go find land and begin planting cocoa,” he advised.
Recent years have seen a number of serious setbacks for Ghana’s cocoa industry, including decreased yields, smuggling, and difficulties with pricing.
In addition to restoring farmer trust, the president’s renewed emphasis on cocoa is anticipated to increase foreign exchange revenues and provide jobs in areas that grow the crop.
Through smart investment in one of Ghana’s most important export commodities, the proposed expansion is viewed as a critical step in transforming agriculture and guaranteeing economic sustainability.