By James Esuon
Agona Nsunan (C/R), May 19, GNA- Nana Kwame Panyin I, the Chief of Nsunan in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region, has reiterated calls on President John Mahama to revert the farm gate producer price of cocoa reduction and put measures in place to cushion them.
According to the Chief, cocoa farmers were currently going through terrible financial crisis because payment for their recent sale of cocoa beans had unduly been delayed.
Nana Panyin appealed to President Mahama to assist the farmers financially by creating an emergency fund, to be channelled through Purchasing Clerks (PCs) for disbursement to the farmers.
The Nsunan Chief made the call when the Minority Caucus in Parliament, led by its leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin met the cocoa farmers to discuss issues affecting their wellbeing at Nsunan.
The Chief said wives of male cocoa farmers were leaving them, as a result reduced income due to last year’s arrears owed the farmers by the Ghana Cocoa Board. (COCOBOD).
Another difficulty confronting cocoa farmers were high cost of chemicals to spray farms, fertilisers, wellington boots and high cost of labour.
Nana Panyin said they were going through hard times to pay their children’s school fees, especially those in tertiary institutions and many others.
Nana Panyin recalled how the farmers spontaneously responded and acknowledged the campaign messages of NDC then in opposition, rallied and voted massively for the party, only for the table to turn against farmers by that decision.
He stated that the farmers believed what President Mahama told them during his campaign tour, and now cocoa farmers throughout the country were very disappointed because the promise made to them in 2024 had not been delivered.
He, however, expressed optimism that the NDC government under President Mahama would listen and revert the decision to reduce the price of a bag of cocoa from 3,500 to GHC2,500 to ensure financial stability of the farmers.
Some of the cocoa farmers added their voices to the call on the government to put in place mechanisms to alleviate the mass sufferings confronting them now.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Benjamin Mensah