In spite of the recent gains in the cocoa industry, President John Evans Atta Mills says the government is committed to investing more in the sector and support for farmers to further increase production to develop the economy. According to the President although this year's achievement of the record cocoa production level of one million tonnes was remarkable, there was still room for improvement, and assured farmers that the government would continue to invest in measures to consolidate the gains. Addressing hundreds of cocoa fanners and other stakeholders in the cocoa industry at a durbar at Effiduase near Kumasi on Saturday, to mark the Cocoa Producers Alliance (COPAL) Cocoa Day, President Mills said the industry remained a top priority in the government's 'Better Ghana' agenda. The event, marked in all COPAL member countries aimed at promoting improvement in the industry, as well as promoting local consumption of cocoa and its derivatives in cocoa producing nations. It was under the theme, “Cocoa: our prosperity, our life.” “My government has made giant strides in improving productivity and ensuring equitable returns for our cocoa farmers and we will continue to ensure that remunerative producer prices are paid to cocoa farmers to improve their incomes, reduce poverty and encourage them to work harder,” President Mills said. Annual cocoa production increased from 680,781 metric tonnes in the 2007/ 2008 season to an unprecedented level of over one million metric tonnes in the ongoing 2010/2011 season. The feat was attributed to the intensive policy interventions by the government such as the increased provision of subsidised fertilisers, supply of early bearing and high yielding planting materials and the timely payment of remunerative producer prices and bonuses to farmers. President Mills commended the farmers and all the other stakeholders for their contributions which had culminated in the improvement of the industry, saying the government would not relent in its efforts to give the industry all the support it needs. “In our cherished dream of transforming the cocoa sector into a wealthy and healthy industry for our people, my government will continue to pursue various policy measures to boost all spheres of industry,” he stressed. These include the continues support for the adoption of intensive methods of production with emphasis on financial, technological and environmental interventions and encouragement of farmers to replant in old denuded areas with improved planting materials instead of extensive expansion to virgin forests. The government, President Mills said, “considers cocoa as a legacy bequeathed to us by our forefathers, and which must be harnessed for the benefit of both current and future generations," and called for the collective effort of all stakeholders to preserve the cocoa sector. Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Kwabena Duffuor, asked Licensed Buying Companies (LCBs) to use the Seed Fund that would be advanced to them by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCO BOD) to pay farmers promptly for their produce as the industry prepares for the 2011/2012. He urged the COCOBOD and the cocoa marketing companies to pay the Licensed Cocoa Buying Company’s promptly so that they call operate efficiently. Anthony Fofie, Chief Executive of COCOBOD, also thanked the farmers for their cooperation and contribution to the success of the Board's interventions, reminding them that the achievement of the one million metric tonnes target, poses another challenge to the industry. The challenge, he said, was to ensure that the standard achieved was sustained and improved upon while increasing local consumption of the cocoa products. About 70 per cent of cocoa produced in Ghana is exported in its raw form, while only five per cent of the remaining 30 per cent processed in Ghana, is consumed locally. “We need to improve on the local consumption so that Ghanaians would derive the health benefits from cocoa,” he said. Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, National Chief Farmer, commended the government for the high investment and priority given to the sector, describing recent assistance to cocoa farmers including the high bonuses, prompt payment of increased producer prices, and introduction of a housing scheme for farmers, as unprecedented. He gave the assurance that the farmers would do well to reciprocate the support by working hard to further increase production.