Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Iddie Adams has lamented over the inability of Cocoa Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to pay cocoa farmers for the past two months for their cocoa beans purchased in his constituency.
According to him Ghana Cocoa Board secured one point three billion dollars facility to purchase cocoa beans for the 2020/21 crop season to assist cocoa board to make upfront payments for purchases from cocoa farmers.
“Most of the cocoa farmers in Ghana depend mainly on the proceeds of cocoa sale to fend for themselves and their families and most importantly to prepare new farmlands for the next farming season.
The proceeds of these sales pay their bills ranging from school fees through domestic utilities to medical bills. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker this hasn’t been the case for the last three months.”
He pointed out in a statement on the floor of the House on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 that reports, from his constituency and other constituencies in the cocoa growing regions is that cocoa farmers have not been paid by LBCs for their cocoa purchased in the last two months even though we are in the third month of the main cocoa season.
And added that, the grim nature of the issue becomes more apparent when he used the plight of the farmers in his district as an example. In Buem, from just five LBCs, farmers are owed GHS 11,055,000 representing 16,750 bags of the beans defeating government’s effort at investing in the cocoa sector to motivate farmers to keep their produce in the country. Further more, in western North, only Cargill Cocoa Sourcing Company is currently paying for cocoa purchased from our farmers.
“Even more worrying, Mr. Speaker, is the sad fact that some of these farmers have been plunged into debilitating health conditions with no funds to seek medical assistance. These farmers resort to loans that are usually accompanied by cut throat interests just to provide basic needs such as feeding and clothing for their families.
As saddening as this is, Mr. Speaker, the latter should be of grave concern to this august house as it defeats the purpose of government’s desire to curb as much as possible the smuggling of cocoa beans to neighboring countries”.
Increased smuggling will lead to reduction in the cocoa production tonnage and ultimately negatively impact the loan approved by Parliament. Some children of farmers in educational institutions that do not accept promissory notes from purchasing clerks have had to stay home since school resumed, he stated.
Mr. Adams further noted that, if Parliament which approved the syndicated facility for the purpose of purchasing cocoa for the (2020/21) crop season doesn’t intervene to get Cocoa board to release funds to LBCs to enable them pay the farmers for the cocoa beans purchased, the economic and health situation of these farmers and their dependents will deteriorate.
In the long term farmers who are engaged in cocoa production will be motivated to practice the unfortunate smuggling of the beans as the only way of survival.
He prayed the Speaker to use his good office to direct the Ministry of Food and Agriculture which has oversight of Cocoa board to immediately take steps to ensure payments are effected to cocoa farmers in Buem constituency and all other cocoa farming areas. Adding that it is his believe that this would go a long way to alleviate the distress and anguish his constituents are currently facing.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
