Cocoa farmers laud government over cocoa price increment

Takoradi, Oct. 8, GNA - Mr Kwodwo Owusu Fordjour, Juabeso District Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, says the recent 33 percent cocoa price increment by government had exceeded cocoa farmers expectations in the district. Speaking in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday, Mr. Fordjour said that cocoa farmers in the district were hoping for GH170 for a 54 kilogram bag of cocoa. Mr Fordjour said that when the announcement came that a 54- kilogram cocoa bag price had been increased to Ghc 200 it brought joy to cocoa farmers in the area and added that it would minimize cocoa smuggling to Cote d'Ivoire. "It will improve the living standards of the cocoa farmers in the country tremendously." He said he was not happy about the poor road network in the area and appealed to the government to improve the roads. b