BE PRUDENT IN ALL YOUR DECISIONS – HON BOAHEN AIDOO TO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES

Date: 28th March 2022

The Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has tasked the newly constituted management committees of its divisions to act with prudence in all their deliberations and decisions.

He added that it was important for them to have the interests of cocoa farmers in mind when they formulate plans and advice the management of COCOBOD as it steers the cocoa industry through difficult times brought on by the knock-on effects of COVID-19 and more recently the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“In these difficult times, we are calling on the new management to give leadership. We want you to show leadership that will ensure prudence in the management of affairs …and we believe that with time we will overcome these difficulties” he assured.

Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo made this call at a ceremony at the Cocoa House in Accra, to swear in the respective management committees for COCOBOD’s Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), the Seed Production Division (SPD) and the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).

He acknowledged that COCOBOD is bracing for a projected worsening of market conditions which will affect the international price of cocoa, the shipment of cocoa beans and the importation of fertilisers.

He said Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are key suppliers of essential elements in the production of fertilisers and other agrochemicals used by many countries, including Ghana to meet the demands of its agricultural sector. As such the present conflict in the region has resulted in a major drop in fertiliser production worldwide and Ghana will be affected.

He added that though COCOBOD and the government will continue to maintain the policies which protect Ghanaian cocoa farmers from external market shocks, it has become essential for the farmers to increase their use of organic fertilisers, like poultry manure, instead of inorganic fertilisers.

He said COCOBOD will increase its sensitisation effort on the use of organic forms of fertilisers.

The various divisional management committees will serve as important advisory bodies to the management of the divisions.

Prof. Festus Kwabena Annor-Frempong, the Former Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, University of Cape Coast and Rev. Prof. Hans Adu-Dapaah the Former Director of the Crop Research Institute are the respective Chairmen of the management committees for the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) and the Seed Production Division (SPD).

Prof. Joseph Opoku Fening the Former Director of the Soil Research Institute is also the Chairman of the management committee for the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).