Gold Fields Ghana Foundation since its founding in 2002, has invested over US$6.9million in entreprise development in its host communities. This includes various livelihood support programmes including the Cocoa Farmers’ Support Programme.
The Foundation launched the Cocoa Farmers’ Support Programme in host communities of the Damang Mine in 2018.This was to support farmers’ efforts in obtaining inputs.
A total of 600 farmers have received support under this programme.
These farmers have received COCOBOD-approved fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides to enhance their cocoa production. In 2021, the Foundation donated spraying machines to the farmers to aid the application of the agrochemicals.
The programme has since its inception been executed in partnership with the Cocoa Health and Extension Division, the Huni Valley Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana, the Cocoa Coffee Shea Nut Farmers’ Association, and the Damang Mine Consultative Farmers Association (DMCFA).
The Foundation, in 2024, is investing over US$28,000 in the programme to support a total of 120 farmers. These farmers will receive COCOBOD-approved fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides to enhance their cocoa production.
The introduction of the Cocoa Farmers Support programme demonstrates that mining, if carried out sustainably can coexist with agriculture and even go a step further to boost agric production.
Success Story from Sintim Baaba, a farmer from Bompieso
My name is Baaba Sintim from Bompieso community and a beneficiary of the Cocoa Farmers’ Support Program. I have benefited from the programme for three consecutive years.
Before the programme, like many of my fellow farmers, I struggled to get farm inputs for my cocoa farm production; however, with the introduction of the Cocoa Farmers Support Programme, everything has changed. I used to harvest about 8 to 10 bags from my two-acre cocoa farm each season, just enough to sustain myself and immediate family, but never enough to truly prosper.
For three consecutive years, I have received fertilizer, pesticides and fungicides from the programme. These farm inputs have been my allies, empowering me to nurture my cocoa trees like never before. With each application, I could see the difference in the health and vigor of my crops. I now proudly harvest around 18 to 20 bags of cocoa each season from the same farm. This significant increase has not only improved my standard of living but has also filled me with a newfound sense of pride and accomplishment.
Success story from Madam Esther Aggrey, from Bompieso
I am a beneficiary of the Cocoa Farmers Support Programme. My name is Esther Aggrey from Bompieso.
Not long ago, my cocoa farm was in big trouble. Diseases and pests were attacking my cocoa trees, and I felt sad watching my farm get worse every day. I could not afford to buy fungicide and pesticides to help my crops.
Fortunately, I was enrolled into the cocoa farmers’ support programme in 2022. It felt like my prayers were answered. From the moment I joined the programme, everything got better. No longer do I have to standby helplessly as my farm suffered. With the support from the programme, I received pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers to help me reclaim my cocoa farm from pests and diseases. I now harvest more than 12 bags of cocoa from my farm as compared to the previous 3 – 5 bags I used to harvest.
For the first time in a long while, I feel hopeful about my cocoa farm. Every season, my farm gets better and better. I am getting more cocoa than I ever thought possible. What used to be a hard struggle to keep my farm alive has turned into a journey of success and growth.
I am thankful for the Cocoa Farmers’ Support Programme. It didn’t just save my farm; it also gave me hope for the future.
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