The Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) planted 1,500 trees to help the government achieve greening with trees nursed by Form Ghana. Shade trees were supplied to 351 cocoa farmers being members of the Association.

These farmers also received training on planting techniques and maintenance of the seedlings to increase the survival rates of the planted trees.

Since 2009, CAA runs a shade tree seedling distribution and training program with its members. Up to date, over 242,000 shade trees have been supplied to the Association members for planting on their farms.

On Green Ghana Day, the Association joined the rest of the subsidiary companies of the corporate founder Africa Tiger Holding Limited to mark the day by collaborating with Cocoa farmers at Afosu and Ofoase-Ayirebi in the Eastern Region.

The objective of the tree planting exercise was to support government’s agenda of greening Ghana and also in memory of the late founder of Cocoa Abrabopa Association Henri Wientjes.

Their support, they believe, would help “Green Ghana” and preserve the ecosystem to aid the fight against the negative effects of climate change.

Currently, the country’s forest cover stood at 1.6 million hectares from 8.2 million hectares witnessed in the 1900s.

The Council Chairman of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA), Ismail Pomasi, said it’s important to restore the depleted forest cover, ravaged by negative human activities such as illegal mining and lumbering.

“We are supporting the government’s agenda; where trees we are planting today are economic trees.

"We planted Mahogany, Emire, Mansonia Albizia and Otie trees. The rationale for this intervention is so that in planting the trees, we are also investing in our future children and our gallant cocoa farmers,” he said.

Mr Pomasi also used the occasion to educate the community on planting trees, more importantly in their cocoa farms.

“We also believe that if more efforts are made towards protecting the existing tree populations across the country, it will reinforce government’s idea of planting new trees and growing them”, he added.

Rebecca Ayisi Asiedu, Council Member Cocoa Abrabopa Association and Regional Representative for Eastern Region, said it’s only collective efforts that can help us restore our degraded forest and reforest Ghana.

“Swift reforestation is critical. The goal of five million trees set by government is necessary, so we must all do our part.

There is no dispute that the woman farmer makes a vital contribution to the country’s economy; this is our time to help shape sustainable development in rural areas,” she said to her colleague farmers.

The Operations Manager, Andrew Roland Obosu, and the Eastern Regional Manager for the Association, Ebenezer Agbozo, used the opportunity to thank the farmers for their continued support of policies and programs that will help restore and conserve forests and water bodies.

They said that as managers, they are committed to enabling cocoa farmers in marginalised communities to alleviate climate change.

To achieve this, they pledged that their projects will continue to incorporate sustainable and livelihood enhancing practices.

In attendance were also the Technical Coordinator (Ofoase-Ayirebi Operational Area), Samuel Kofi Sarfo; Child Development Officer of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (Kade, Ofase-Ayirebi Operational Area), Daniel Feda, and some cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region.