The Chief Farmer of Western North Region, Nana Charles Owusu, has urged all cocoa farmers in the region and its surrounding areas to register under the Government’s Cocoa Cooperative. The registration will help the government to identify the number of cocoa farmers and provide them with farming equipment, fertilizers, incentives, and benefits.
During a sensitization program organized by Nana Owusu, he informed the press that the cooperative will enable farmers to access loans from banking institutions and other benefits that will help them in their farming businesses when they come together to form the Cooperative association.
Nana Owusu expressed excitement that farmers were very happy and thankful to the government for the new cocoa farmgate prices.
The main challenge that cocoa farmers face in the region is illegal mining activities, particularly in Sefwi Akontonmra. Nana Owusu shared with the media that all the river bodies have been polluted by chemicals due to galamsey activities, which has badly affected lands for farming and the health of the people, as they inhale different kinds of substances used for mining.
Nana Owusu called on chiefs, who are custodians of the land, to refrain from selling lands for illegal activities. Doing so will enable children who ignore school to engage in illegal mining to go back to school and focus on their studies to better their future.
