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RADP / Pulse Ghana  >  news  >  business

Farmers who cut down unproductive cocoa trees to be compensated

Magdalene Teiko Larnyoh

The Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD Joseph Boahen Aidoo said his outfit “will pay both farm owners and farmers until the new trees start to bear fruits.”

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This was revealed by the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD Joseph Boahen Aidoo.

He said his outfit “will pay both farm owners and farmers until the new trees start to bear fruits.”

READ ALSO: Works on cocoa roads halted by COCOBOD

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He explained that some cocoa trees had been affected by swollen shoot and black pod diseases or were too old to bear fruits.

He said this situation has contributed to the current low cocoa production levels.

“After cutting down the affected trees, COCOBOD will provide improved seedlings free of charge in order to achieve our targets” he said.

READ ALSO: US$3bn lost in export proceeds annually

Boahen Aidoo said this when the Board Chairman, Hackman Kwame Owusu Agyeman led the board and management to pay a courtesy call on the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin at his palace.

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The courtesy call was after the Board and management of COCOBOD held a retreat at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Tafo to strategize towards uplifting COCOBOD to the desired pedestal.

The CEO also disclosed that COCOBOD had started a hand pollination exercise nationwide in a bid to improve production level.

READ ALSO: Invasive army worms threaten annual harvest in Volta Region

According to the CEO, thirty thousand (30,000) cocoa farmers from across the nation are to be introduced to the hand pollination technique to enable them to boost crop yield and returns.

He said a hand pollinated cocoa tree could yield between 100 and 500 pods.

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The farmer could pollinate about 10 or 12 trees each day.

This will increase production which will make up for the fall in the international market price of the commodity.

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Magdalene Teiko Larnyoh Magdalene Teiko Larnyoh A feminist at heart and a lover of art. She loves to write on business, politics and health.

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