The Produce Buying Company (PBC) of COCOBOD says it will purchase a total of 380,000 tones (six million bags) of cocoa beans this year. Already, the company has purchased 247,000 tonnes of cocoa beans in the main crop season this year. Last year, it purchased a total of 247,000 tonnes from about 750,000 farmers nationwide. Mr Kwadwo Atta Krah, Managing Director of the Company, announced this at an awards ceremony to honour more than 335 cocoa farmers who sold between 400 and 4,000 bags of cocoa beans to the Company last year. They received motorized spraying machines, roofing sheets, LCD television sets and certificates. Two farmers, Nana Ampadu Kingsley of Bonsu-Nkwanta in the Western Region and Opanin Akwasi Manu of Ahafo Mim in the Brong Ahafo Region, who sold 4,000 bags of cocoa beans each, were given special recognition and honour. Each received six packets of roofing sheets, a motorized spraying machine and a 32 inch LCD television set. Mr Atta Krah said the awards are in recognition of the loyalty of the farmers and to further strengthen the bond of relationship between the Company and the farmers. He thanked the farmers for their continuous support which has made the company the leading purchaser of cocoa in the country. Dr John Frank Abu, Board Chairman of PBC, said the company was poised to increase its market share from the current 37 per cent to about 45 per cent in the shortest possible time. He said the company had during the last four years been recording profits and praised the farmers for their support. Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, National President of Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association, commended the management of the company for recognizing the efforts of the farmers. He appealed to the company to initiate incentive packages that will entice more farmers to sell their produce to it. Nana Achamfour Kwame Akowuah II, Akwamuhene of Kumasi, who chaired the function, praised cocoa farmers for their immense contribution to the growth and development of the nation and appealed to the management of COCOBOD to initiate programmes that would encourage farmers to expand their farms and increase their yields. Source: GNA