Mahama bemoans continual decline of Ghana's cocoa production
The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has assured cocoa farmers that the next NDC government will pay critical attention to the cocoa sector to boost production and restore hope for cocoa farmers.
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He said that would include providing the necessary support in incentives and inputs to revive higher production levels in the sector.
Addressing separate mini rallies last Tuesday at Nkrankwanta and Kwakuanya, both cocoa-growing communities in the Dormaa West District in the Bono Region, as part of his campaign tour in the area, the former President said Ghana risked losing its position as the world's second largest cocoa producer if measures were not put in place to halt the continual dropping of cocoa production.
"If measures are not taken to check the continual declining of cocoa production, the country would lose its second position to the third largest producing country, Ecuador, which produced more than 300,000 metric tonnes in 2023 as against Ghana's production of about 440,000 tonnes," he said.
He accused the government of failing to resolve challenges facing cocoa farmers to boost the production of the commodity and sustain the interest of farmers in the industry.
He encouraged cocoa farmers not to lose hope in the cultivation of cocoa, stressing that the next NDC administration would put measures in place to revamp the industry.
"What I can tell all cocoa farmers is that they should not lose hope because the next NDC administration will resolve all current challenges in the sector to revamp the cocoa industry," he said.
Farmers’ confidence
He said if he was elected, he would address all the current challenges in the sector to regain farmers’ confidence and make the industry lucrative for farmers, and for the youth to venture into the industry.
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The former President said during his era, cocoa farmers were among the richest in the country due to the support and policies implemented in the sector which increased their production.
Mr Mahama said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government had mismanaged the entire cocoa sector, which had collapsed the industry.
He said before the NDC government left office in 2016, cocoa production was about 967,000 metric tonnes annually, explaining that under the current government, the figure had reduced to 440,000 tonnes.
Poultry
At Wamanafo in the Dormaa East District, he said the party had planned to develop the Dormaa area to become the capital of poultry production in the country.
"We cannot neglect the Dormaa area in terms of poultry production because the area is noted for commercial production of poultry," he said.
He said the next NDC government would establish a poultry processing factory in the area to process poultry for local and international markets.
Mr Mahama said poultry production had dropped significantly because the government failed to support poultry farmers to increase their production.
"In that regard, we will invest to make the Dormaa area the capital of poultry production in the country, since the area has poultry potential," he said.
At Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality, Mr Mahama advised all eligible voters to visit offices of the Electoral Commission to check whether their names were captured in the voters register.
Development
At Nkrankwanta, the chief of the town, Baffour Agyei Ekyea Akombi II, said during the former President's era, he created the district and supported the development of the area.
At Abesim in the Sunyani East Municipality, the Abesimhene, Barima Kumi Acheaw III, called for peaceful election is on December 7.