Some cocoa farmers are questioning COCOBOD over the whereabouts of support services meant to make them more efficient in the production of the ‘golden pod’.

Being the most important agricultural commodity Ghana produces, government keeps a strong presence in the management of the cocoa sector.

COCOBOD buys cocoa from farmers for sale on the international market, and pays farmers between 30 and 70 percent of the amount.

The difference goes to government and COCOBOD.

In order to compensate them for their losses, they are promised several ‘freebies’: free mass praying farms free fertilizers, free seedlings, as well as cocoa extension services.

But all these have not reached a large chunk of cocoa farmers. The result is that Ghanaian cocoa farmers are unable to produce to the required capacity.

The farmers are therefore demanding a more efficient management of the scheme.

These challenges that farmers face is what Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo investigates in the second part of the Hotline Documentary, “POOR MILLIONAIRES” which airs on Thursday December 11, 2014 at 8: 30 am. 

The documentary features various stakeholders in the cocoa sector including Rural Development Practitioner Bright Wereko Brobby, Ranking member on parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa committee, Dr. Akoto Owusu Afriyie, Executive Director of Agro Mindset Organisation, David Asare Asiamah, as well as the Country Lead of Cocoa Life Programme, Yaa Amekudzi Peprah.