COCOA PRODUCER PRICE, HAND POLLINATION

The Ghana Cocoa Board has indicated that it might be compelled to negotiate with

cocoa farmers for a possible reduction in the producer prices of the beans should the

downward trend of the world market prices of the commodity continue.

 This point would only be reached if the world market price declines to one thousand

500 Dollars. However, farmers would not be worse off should the situation become

unavoidable considering the prospects of very high crop yield as a result of the hand

pollination pilot project. Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo

gave the hint at Chirano in the Bibiani-Ahwiaso-Bekwai Municipality of the

Western region.

Government’s pilot project on hand pollination in parts of the cocoa growing

districts in the country is giving a very prospect of unimaginable cocoa yields

judging from evidence gathered from some of the participating farms.

 Hand Pollination is a man-induced cross pollination of flowering cocoa plants to

reduce to the bearest minimum, the rate of waste in the yield in the sector. The project

has become imperative as a result of the inability of the natural pollination agents such

as wind, birds and insects, to maximize cross pollination to increase yield. 

It was officially launched by the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen

Aidoo at Awadua in the Ahafo Ano South district of the Ashanti region in 2017.

Since then, parts of chosen existing cocoa farms have been selected to pilot the

project to ascertain the prospects on yield. One year on, the Chie Executive of

COCOBOD, accompanied by some top management staff of the company, has

toured some of those participating cocoa farms in the Bibiani-Ahwiaso-Bekwai

Municipality of the Western region to find out the state of affairs to inform the next

direction of the project. 

At K.D. Sreso, one out of the three acres of the farm cocoa farm was being used for the

pilot hand pollination. The farm is also getting ready to undergo irrigation to reduce the

impact of the unreliable weather pattern in recent times, especially, the rainfall. 

It was observed that the portion of the farm that has undergone the artificial pollination

has prospect for higher yield compared with the other part. The situation was even

more encouraging at the farm of one Mr. Gilbert Gyamprah at Chirano. He has two out

of his three acre farm used for the pilot project. 

It was observed that one of the cocoa trees which has successfully undergone the hand

pollination had about 900 young pods which, if successfully mature, could produce

half a bag of the cocoa beans. The farmer, Mr. Gyamprah, told Ashanti Today in an

interview, that this is the second year of his participation in the pilot project. According

to him, the yield per acre of the cocoa farm, shot up from eight bags before the hand

pollination to 25 bags last season with a corresponding increase in income level from

three thousand Ghana Cedis to about eight thousand Ghana Cedis during the period.

Apart from engaging 20 thousand Pollinators, the COCOBOD has again employed

some youth to undertake certain agronomic practices including pruning to reduce

shade on the farm. Speaking to the media, the CEO of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen

Aidoo, was very optimistic about the high prospect of improved cocoa production in

the country as a result of the artificial pollination to eventually propel the country to

achieve the desired 900 thousand metric tonnes by 2020. 

He said this prospect will cushion the farmers against any eventuality of a reduction in

the producer price of the commodity should the prices of the world market reduce to

one thousand, 500 Dollars. He said government is spending about 300 million Ghana

Cedis  on interventions like the hand pollination to induce yield. 

The officials visited also a farm at Nambro, also in the Bibiani-Ahwiaso-Bekwai

Municipality, where it was realized that the farm requires inducement such as fertilizer

application to do well. 

The day’s tour ended at Awaso where Mr. Boahen Aidoo and his team inspected the

seven COCOBOD warehouses to know at first hand, their condition. It was realized

that while some of the warehouses have been put to use over the years, others,

especially the galvanized ones have become dormant for sometime.