Cocoa farmer group in Nkonya Tayi in the Hohoe-Kpeve Cocoa District of the Volta Region has received certificate from the Department of Co-operative in conjunction with Ghana Cocoa Board to operate as a legally registered cooperative.

This comes as the fourth community in the Nkonya Operational Area to receive such legal certificate after Nkonya Wurupong, Nkonya Ahenkro and Nkonya Asakyiri Cocoa Farmer Cooperatives early this year.

Receiving the certificate, the Chairman of the Nkonya Tayi Co-operative Cocoa Farmer and Marketing Society Ltd, Mr. William Ohene expressed his happiness to Department of Co-operatives as well as COCOBOD for the honour and the role that the COCOBOD has reposed in the cooperatives across the Cocoa Industry.

Mr. Ohene added that Nkonya Tayi had produced 80 tonnes of Cocoa per season before, and has hopes that, "this cooperative will help us reclaim our past glories".

He thanked COCOBOD for provision of Cocoa –Buying Scale and appealed for permanent buyer stationed at Nkonya Tayi to reduce their stress.

The Technical Officer of Extension in the area, Francis M. Eshun, thanked the leadership of the co-operative for their continual support to COCOBOD in carrying out Productivity Enhancements Programmes (PEPs), mass Pruning, Fertilization, Hand Pollination, Irrigation, Rehabilitation, Seedling Distribution aimed at ensuring COCOBOD target of restoring its lead as the world’s largest producer of Cocoa be realized.

The District Extension Officer for Hohoe-Kpeve Cocoa District, Mr. Derick Alabi-Donkoh entreated the farmers to use the Co-operative as a base to raise the standards of not only cocoa production but also standard of living among cocoa farmers.

He added with the co-operative in place, the farmers must follow it up by opening account and ensure it becomes beneficial to them.

He, therefore seized the opportunity and assured the farmers that, the office was still working to ensure the fertilizer they requested was delivered to them.

The Municipal Co-operative Officer in the area, Mr. John Vorvor said, "your certificate cannot work on its own, but you the farmers."

He delivered five points advice to the new Cocoa Farmer Co-operative; tolerance; trust; patronage; meeting and establishment of group farm.

He said the farmers should be tolerant to each other, accountable to each other, which will intend lead trust, and they should regularly meet to address issues as well as coming together to establish a group farm, to generate income for the cooperative.

The leadership of the Co-operative are Mr. William Ohene, Chairman; Mr. Godfred Adondo, Vice Chairman; Mr. William Kwadje, Secretary; Mr. Yusif Nkansah, Financial Secretary; Ms Edith Ohene, Treasurer; Ms. Patricia Nyakoa, Adore Agnes, Executive Member, Anthony Sekyere, Executive Member, and Ambrose Komla, Executive Member.