Cocoa farmers appeal to COCOBOD

Duakwa (C/R), June 15, GNA - Cocoa farmers at Duakwa and surrounding villages near Agona Swedru, have appealed to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to direct Licensed Cocoa Buying Companies to release moneys meant for bonuses to cocoa farmers. Opanin Kwaku Mensah, a cocoa farmer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Akim Oda that most of the farmers had not received their bonuses for cocoa beans sold at Duakwa for the 2005/06 and the 2006/07 main crop seasons.

He said though the system for the disbursement of bonus was straight forward, the Purchasing Clerks (P/Cs) of the various societies (sheds), made it cumbersome for the farmers, especially the illiterate among them to understand the process for the payments. Opanin Mensah said in the end, the farmer was cheated or given a fraction of his bonus. He said that since the bonus was only meant for the farmer, the government had to ensure that such huge sums of money was not misused by unscrupulous officials who had not worked for it or who did not have cocoa farms.

He expressed surprised that COCOBOD, who knew of such cases since long, still remained unconcerned about the plight of the farmers. When the GNA contacted Mr. Moses Ashmond, a P/C of the Cocoa Merchant Company at Duakwa, he could not disclose payments of bonuses made in respect of the 2005/06 and 2006/07 main crop seasons. He only stated that during that period, he was working with the Akuafo Adamfo Company and that the official who was in possession of the documents, which covered all payments had left the district. The farmers expressed surprise that COCOBOD should continue to throw moneys down the drain without putting in place transparent policies to check the P/Cs and other officials running the cocoa industry.