Cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region have received a major boost to increase yields, as they practice new farming methods.
The cocoa farmers will now be introduced to multifaceted cocoa life approaches aimed at making them more independent and financially resourceful to best manage their farms well.
This was made known at the launching of Solidaridad-Mondelez Cocoa Life program for cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region at Suhum.
The Cocoa Life according to organizers will emphasize productive alternative livelihood development initiatives for youth in cocoa production and also facilitate collateral-free loans for young people in cocoa farming.
In an interview with Citi News, the Country Representative and Global Coordinator of Cocoa Programmes for Solidaridad, Madam Suzan-Hermina Adwoa Yemidi said the cocoa life program will position the farmers to make good yields in profit.
“The new extension Cocoa life approach takes into consideration 5 main pillars which are the farming, environment, livelihoods, community and youth. What is new in all of these approaches that we are bringing on board is the innovations around new farming techniques, individualized support to the farmers in the sense that we are not going to give the farmers blanket training.”
“We have what we call the farm development plan where we will go into the communities where the farmers are, look at the specific training gaps in their farm management to help guide us tailor all our training along the individualized gaps.”
Madam Suzan-Hermina Adwoa Yemidi also indicated that the Cocoa Life Program will empower the youth to develop strategic business plans to manage their cocoa farms well.
The Senior Technical Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Unit in the Eastern Region, Samuel Gyamfi Gyimah called on farmers to desist from cutting down cocoa plantations for rubber production.
“We are worried about the rate at which cocoa farmers are abandoning their cocoa cultivation for rubber plantations, oil and other things they find more profitable. If you have 1 hectare of cocoa and you diverting to rubber it means production will reduce and this is a worry because gradually cocoa production is coming down and cocoa is very important to the farmers.”
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku | citinewsroom.com | niikanarku@gmail.com