The Minister-Designate for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has voiced concerns about the challenges confronting the cocoa sector.
During his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 13, Dr. Forson pledged to revitalize the cocoa sector if approved.
He acknowledged the difficulties faced by cocoa farmers and emphasized the importance of ensuring fair compensation to sustain their livelihoods and maintain the sector’s relevance.
“I recognise the work of the cocoa farmer and have fondly spoken about cocoa. I think the cocoa farmer must be prioritized. One of the reasons why our cocoa is going down is that we are not paying the cocoa farmers a fair price. As a result, there are no incentives for cocoa farmers to cultivate cocoa.
“And our volumes are dwindling from almost a million metric tonne to 400 hundred and something metric tonnes. Today, we’re the second-largest producer of cocoa. I think it’s about time we pay attention to the cocoa sector by giving a fair price to the cocoa farmers and revamping the industry.
“When approved, I will work with Ghana COCOBOD to revitalise the cocoa sector. At the same time paying attention to what the cocoa farmer gets. We need to incentivise them and encourage them. I will work to improve the lot of the cocoa farmers.”
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