Ghana’s farming leaders call on Cocobod to end mass spraying and boost fertiliser support

Regional farming communities in Ghana have called on the country’s cocoa association, Cocobod, to abolish mass crop spraying techniques, and instead focus on supplying key fertilisers, writes Neill Barston.

As first reported by My Cocoa Business, Patrick Nartey, Samreboi B Cocoa District Chief Farmer, sought urgent backing for delivery of such core agricultural inputs as a priority, as the communities faced ongoing major challenges in the region.

The topic is among key elements of our coverage for the World Confectionery Conference taking place next week in Brussels, Belgium. Register for your place at the event via the following website, confectioneryconference.com

While, as previously reported in our title, Ghana recently raised farmer pay by 61% in the region, poor dollar exchange rates for farm gate prices in the local Cedi currency have meant that many workers will not feel any considerable difference, with payment levels now at the equivalent of around $3,000 a tonne, compared to international Futures commodities markets prices in New York and London, fetching more than $7,500 a tonne, from a high earlier this year of over $12,000 a tonne.

Beyond wage issues, farmers have also been hit by considerable crop disease issues, including swollen shoot virus, which is believed to have hit key cocoa growing territories in both Ghana and Ivory Coast, though official data on this has not been released in the region. In addition, the area has also been notably impacted by illegal gold mining operations taking over cocoa growing areas, that has further negatively impacted the sector.

As the My Cocoa Business media group reported, Patrick Nartey has called on Cocobod to deliver greater levels of fertiliser, fungicide and pesticide to Cocoa Farmers for Spraying Purposes. 

He questioned the need for annual mass spraying in a major speech at the recent Nationwide Cocoa Farmers Rallies organised At Mumuni Camp in the Samreboi Cocoa District by My Cocoa Business Agro Media Organisation,

Furthermore, as the media group noted, the veteran chief Farmer also made calls for improvements to the Ghana Cocoa Farmers School Scheme and the Distribution of Farm Inputs by Ghana Cocoa Board and The Government of Ghana.

Industry concerns
As the group noted, Nartey stated there appeared to be an inequity in how support to farmers were being supported within the region, calling for more transparency in how systems operates. 

Significantly, as Confectionery Production has recently reported, farmers unions in the region have also backed calls – calling for the cocoa sector to be entirely independent from government operation.

Moreover, Nartey in addressing the topic of European Deforestation Regulations, stated that there needed to be a greater level of awareness among farmers of the upcoming landmark legislation that is due to be enacted at the end of this year.

In addition, the senior farmer added that there needed to be more media engagements and advocacy work within cocoa communities as the idea of EUDR has not been well understood by many within the sector.

With the regulations still undergoing politically motivated revisions this summer, there remains notable uncertainty for the whole sector as to how the legislation is going to be rolled-out – having already been delayed by a year in the European Parliament following intense political lobbying from centre-right groups, as well as some quarters of industry.

Confectionery Production has approached Cocobod for comment on the story.