Rejoinder: Stop misleading farmers about cocoa agroforestry

For goodness’ sake cocoa agroforestry is not a mirage, And I write to dispel any confusion that could have been created in the minds of readers of the above-captioned article in the Monday, November 11, 2024, issue of the Daily Graphic.

Currently, ordinary cocoa farming can showcase only one item: dry cocoa beans, on its value chain. However, one can extend “The Cocoa Agroforestry” value chain to include 14 or more saleable items.

It is not right to start imputing malice to the best efforts of COCOBOD to revitalise the cocoa sector. What is currently being done by COCOBOD and other concerned agencies through the introduction of cocoa agroforestry is good for cocoa production. Imputing malice is unfortunate.

Dr Eric Mensah Kumeh, please note that the cocoa sector has had several branches since 1947, including cocoa production, which is manned by the cocoa farmland owners, usually called the Cocoa Farmers and the Cocoa Marketing Board, or COCOBOD.

While the role of the cocoa farmers encompasses ownership of farmland and labour (factors of production), planting and nurturing of the cocoa farm to ensure cocoa quality assurance, COCOBOD intrinsically is responsible for quality specification, traceability and marketing.

If, therefore, you mix matters relating to cocoa production with those that have to do with marketing that is not right. 

To date, cocoa production in Ghana has been successfully undertaken for 135 years. In the past 77 years, COCOBOD has been at the helm, supervising cocoa production, quality control, quality specification, cocoa bean traceability and the export of dry cocoa beans.

Management and organisation within the cocoa sector find expression within the concept and practice of cocoa agroforestry. Only five years from now, this country will be called upon to be peer-reviewed, in respect of how well we have conformed with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the cocoa agroforestry will come in handy! 

Fred Owusu,
Cocoa farmer/thinker.
E-mails: -fredowusu1946@gmail.com