The COCOBOD’s announcement of a new cocoa price of GH¢660.00 per bag of 64 kilo-grammes for the 2020/2021 cocoa crop season has been highly commended by farmers at Anum Apapam in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region.

The price for the 2019/2020 crop season was GHc 514.00 of the same bag per same kilo-grammes.

The Chief Farmer for Anum Apapam and adjourning towns and villages, Nene Ashaley Adjabeng, speaking at a cocoa farmers meeting, amidst observation of COVID-19 protocol, said the new price increment would help farmers to expand their production and employ more hands.

According to Nene Ashaley, the increment would ginger them to work hard to justify COCOBOD’s expectation of purchasing 900,000 metric tonnes of the beans for this cocoa season, which was opened on October 2, this year.

While the farmers commended the government and the authorities of the cocoa industry for what they termed as “slight upward adjustment”, he said, it was important that the problems they were confronted with were dealt with to ensure that the country’s projection of 900,000 metric tonnes of the production of the beans for the year was not undermined.

“The fact is that the contribution of the cocoa sector to the economy has far-reaching results”, he stated, adding, “we have no other option than to give the industry the support it deserves” and called on all cocoa farmers to get on board.

In a related development, the Chief Farmer for Amanase and its environs, Nana Asamoah Ampofo appealed to COCOBOD to help restore the “Bonus” to cocoa farmers, the band adding, “Farmers need to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

In another meeting with farmers at Akorabo in the Suhum Municipality, chaired by Enoch Agudze, a Purchasing Clerk (P/C) of the Produce Buying Company (PBC), the farmers pleaded with the Department of Feeder Roads and the municipal assembly to fix the stretch of feeder road from Kukua through Akorabo to Amanhyia which had been rendered deplorable to help the carting of cocoa beans from the area.