I am a proud son of a cocoa farmer. Life in the Cocoa Capital of the World is not easy, especially, during the month after the light crop season, what we normally call the “June July” season.
This is the hardest period in the year for cocoa farmers especially those whose children have completed Junior High School and about entering the Senior High School or are already in second high schools.
This is the period where my dad had to invest in his farm to ensure a good produce during the main crop season.
It was the same period that he had to dole out money for our fees. The complexities of these responsibilities amidst scarce resources results in farmers borrowing from Purchasing Clerks(PCs) with the promise of paying them during the main crop season (September-December).
A farmer who operates on an 8-acre farm will borrow about 5 bags of cocoa from the PC knowing very well that he will harvest about 8 bags during the mean season.
The PC agrees and gives the money to the farmer but the farmer never fulfils his side of the bargain.
The farmer uses the five bags of cocoa which is equivalent to GHS 1600 (using 2013 figures) to pay for the wards school fees for the first year.
During the main season, the farmer after harvesting his 8 bags usually fails to pay the PC obviously for two reasons
1. Xmas is in sight and he must prepare for the season
2. There are other needs that have to be met.
The remaining three bags of cocoa cannot help the farmer to meet the points stated above.
Hence he takes his cocoa to a different PC to sell.
Effects
1. The first PC lands in trouble with his mother company because he is unable to return the cocoa bags he borrowed to the farmer.
2. He there takes action against the farmer which normally involves the seizure of the farm.
3. The end product is hardship not only on the farmer but the PC and their families.
A situation which began as school fees challenge has now deteriorated into an over-bearing hardship.
With the advent of free secondary education policy, this un-bearing hardship has been eradicated.
I now go to Sefwi Amoashed and all I see are smiles of the faces of farmers. Their hardships have been lessened by this government.
I can boast of three relatives from Amoashed who are now in Grade A SHS in the country. This certainly couldn’t have been possible if Nana Addo was not voted into power.
The only thing I see missing is how these farmers are going to transfer the savings they have made into wealth.
I pray farmers in Western North repays this gesture by voting for Nana Addo to continue the free Senior High School policy and to help us create wealth!
#4morefornana
#4moretodomore