Cocoa spraying exercise a failure - NDC

THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the government’s mass spraying of cocoa farms in the country as a failure.

This, it said is borne out of the inability of the exercise to contribute to any significant increase in cocoa production in the country during the 2001 production year.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam at the weekend.

It has, therefore, called on the government to rather supply the inputs to the farmers for them to undertake their own spraying exercise.

The statement said cocoa remains one of the live-wires of the country and urged the government to do the right thing to keep the industry going.

The statement decried the high level of smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring Cote d’ Ivoire and stressed that this situation must be halted. It called on the government to increase the percentage of the world market price of cocoa paid to farmers from the 46 per cent to about 70 per cent. Additionally, it called on the government to address the many problems associated with cocoa sector to ensure that the sector is able to take its enviable position in the economy, the statement said.

“ In this “Golden Age of Business” when we should be processing our primary products to add value to them to earn more, we expect our corporate planners to be proactive to prevent future shortage of cocoa beans in the country.

On the government‘s $1 billion loan agreement with the International Finance Consortium the statement expressed disappointment at the way the government reacted to the concerns raised by the NDC minority about the loan agreement. The statement said the manner in which the NPP reacted shows the level of intolerance of the NPP concerning matters affecting the country.

It called on the government to take a second critical look at the loan agreement.