By Charles Tawiah
Dadease (Ash) Jun 16, GNA – COCOBOD is developing initiative to encourage some selected agricultural students from eight senior high schools in the Ashanti region to study cocoa agronomy at the Bunso Cocoa College free of charge.
The project is part of the “One Acre of Cocoa Farm, One Senior High School” programme, which is being piloted in eight senior high schools from the 15 Cocoa Districts in the Ashanti region.
The “One Acre of Cocoa Farm, One Senior High School” initiative aims at boosting the interest of the youth in cocoa cultivation in agricultural senior high schools, while encouraging the students to take cocoa farming as a business in the future, while helping to increase cocoa beans production in the country.
Mr William Kwaku Serebuor Prempeh, Ashanti Regional Manager of COCOBOD, who made these known, said students who would demonstrate high interest and readiness to undertake cocoa farming after school, would be selected to benefit from the two-year diploma programme in cocoa agronomy at the Bunso Cocoa College, in the Eastern region.
He disclosed this at a ceremony to hand over two polytanks, valued at GHS 16,000.00 to the Dadease Agricultural Senior High School, in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti region.
The polytanks were donated in partnership with Green World Industries (GWI), a food supplement and healthy products company.
The tanks are to support the water and sanitation situation in the school.
Mr Prempeh, mentioned some of the schools benefiting from the pilot programme as the T.I Ahmadiya, Tweneboa Kodua and Asokore Senior High Schools in the Effiduase Cocoa district, Saint Jerome, Dwamena Akenten, in Offinso Cocoa district, Osei Tutu SHS and Prempeh College from Kwabre and Nkawie Cocoa districts, respectively.
Mr. Prempeh explained that the initiative had a high potential of increasing cocoa production in Ghana if implemented nationwide in all the seven cocoa regions since it would serve as a major panacea to deforestation, illegal mining, smuggling, ageing cocoa farmers and other challenges facing the cocoa industry.
He said the project would help increase the schools’ Internally Generated Funds (IGF) from sales of cocoa beans, help students to acquire relevant and practical education, while boosting foodstuff production in the schools.
He commended the members of the Ashanti Regional team of the project for their commitment and effective implementation since it was started in the year 2024.
Mrs. Perfect Asigbey Ankrah, the Ashanti Regional Branch Manager of the GWI said the presentation served as a corporate social responsibility of the company.
She pledged to offer more support with consultation with their headquarters in China as well as the other 43 branches globally and mentioned car awards as their planned program in September, this year.
Mr. Francis Donkor, the Headmaster of the school urged the students to take the program seriously since it was an opportunity to step forward on their educational ladder.
He commended COCOBOD and the GWI company for the initiative and the donation and appealed for extra support when the need arises.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Linda Asante Agyei