Cocoa farmers to benefit from fertilizer subsidies

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has announced fertiliser subsidies for farmers for the 2017 farming year.

In a statement, COCOBOD said a bag of granular fertiliser would now be sold at GH¢80, while a liquid fertiliser would also be sold at GH¢20, representing a reduction of 53.4 per cent and 81.3 per cent respectively.

“The new policy by management of COCOBOD is meant to enhance farmers’ access to cocoa fertilisers to improve yield of cocoa farms and their incomes,” it said.

Currently, the average purchase price per bag of granular fertiliser is GH¢171.75 and a litre of liquid fertiliser is GH¢105.

Advice

“Cocoa farmers are hereby advised to insist on buying the fertilisers at the subsidised price from cocoa Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), Cocoa Inputs Companies, Offices of Cocoa Farmers’ Associations and Private Inputs Distributors across the country.

“Management of COCOBOD would like to encourage its hardworking cocoa farmers to seize the opportunity in its new arrangement and apply only approved fertilisers on their farms at the right time for maximum impact,” the statement concluded.