Educate Cocoa farmers on changes in weather patterns – COCOBOD told

A cocoa farmer and traditional ruler, Nana Ayeh III has called on the Ghana COCOBOD to plan a program aimed at educating cocoa farmers on the changes in weather patterns.

This, he said, will help boost confidence in farmers following agitation from the industry players on the back of China’s entry into the sector.

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto has, however, said there is no cause for alarm as the country’s cocoa seed is unmatched.

According to him the international market opting to pay upto15 – 25% on the premium price goes to spell that out.

But, Nana Ayeh III who was speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show Friday said it is vital to focus on weather patterns to aid get things right as there are farmers in the villages with less or no knowledge of the weather pattern.

“I haven’t seen a very good program for cocoa farmers, like COCOBOD coming on board to tell us that the rain patterns have changed, let’s change the way we do our things, let’s plant at this month instead of the way we use to do 10 years ago.”

The cocoa farmer noted national discourse currently seems to have moved solely on illegal mining, revealing that cocoa farmers are confronted with “illegal loggers in our communities cutting down the few tree coverage for the cocoa farmers” hence needed some attention too.

“Because of that we’ve seen some patterns of rainfall that is not right,” he told host Benjamin Akakpo.

According to him, most farmers who seem to understand the changes in the weather achieved that because of their experience in the sector.

“People know that the weather has changed, they will tell you that the weather has changed because look, they’ve been farming for the past 15 years and they’ve seen the weather changes.”

The traditional ruler further noted that “normally around this time, farmers will be clearing their lands, preparing their cocoa farms, pruning, doing fertilizer… the rain has come in early and as I sit here, for the past two weeks I haven’t seen rains in my area, it is a big problem.”

“This is the place I will beg COCOBOD to look at very carefully, study the weather and educate the farmers so that we will be abreast with what is going on,” he said.

The cocoa farmer, however, acknowledged the COCOBOD has held forums to enlighten farmers on agrochemicals, new fertilizer among others, but said “those things are okay but the main fairness, our livelihood there; the tress hadn’t cut off, the weather is changing and we want to see some strong education on that for farmers.”