Ajumako (C/R) Aug. 20, GNA-Cocoa farmers in thirteen societies in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam of the Central Region owed the Ministry of Food and Agriculture 51, 095 cedis in unpaid cocoa fertilizer supplies. The farmers are located in Sotowoom, Solomon, Bisease, Amanbetse, Boso= , Anyinasu, Amondo, Essiam, Obrawugum, Kokoben, Akroma, Kuntanse and Ampia-Ajumako.

Dr. Miki Ayee, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Director of MOFA, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Ajumako. He said the amount was in respect of balance of 3,000 bags of the fertilizer totalling 75,000 Ghana Cedis which MOFA sold through buying companies on credit basis in September 2010 under an arrangement to deduct from their cocoa beans that would be sold to them within six months period. The director said MOFA sold a total of 75,000 Cedis worth of fertilize= r to the farmers of which they have paid 23,905 Cedis, leaving a balance of 51,095 Ghana Cedis. Dr Ayee said the situation has made it difficult for MOFA to take delivery of its 2011 fertilizer consignment for the district. "As part of measures to retrieve the locked up money, the Ministry o= f Agriculture in the district has decided to temporary withhold Ago-Chemicals meant for spraying of farms belonging to farmers of the indebted societies= ". The suspension would be in force until they pay the balance, he said. Dr Ayee said investigations conducted revealed that the framers involved had resorted to selling their products to the buying companies through friends who do not owe them.

The practice has made it virtually impossible for the company to deduct the proceeds from the farmers for the MOFA, he said. The District Agriculture director reminded the farmers that fertilizer= s and other inputs supplied them are not gifts and must therefore be paid for to enable the government buy more in future. He therefore advised them to organise themselves and pay back their arrears to avoid any sanction.