Cocoa farmers in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region are set to benefit from improved access to farm maintenance equipment following the presentation of 84 motorised spraying machines to organised farmer groups in the constituency.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Member of Parliament for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, is aimed at helping farmers overcome shortages of spraying equipment and improve the timely maintenance of their cocoa farms.
The machines were presented at a ceremony in Duayaw Nkwanta attended by cocoa farmer groups, traditional and religious leaders, community members and political representatives.
The intervention is particularly significant for farmers in the municipality, who said the area previously had only 39 motorised spraying machines available to serve cocoa farmers.
According to the beneficiaries, the limited number of machines made it difficult for farmers to access spraying services promptly, potentially affecting the efficient maintenance of their farms.
The additional 84 machines are therefore expected to ease pressure on the available equipment and allow farmers to undertake spraying and other essential farm maintenance activities more efficiently.
Dr Boako said cocoa farmers remained critical to Ghana’s economy and deserved practical support that would make their work less burdensome while improving productivity.
“Cocoa farmers deserve better, and I am pleased to support them with tools to make their work easier and more productive,” he said.
The MP explained that the intervention was designed to address some of the operational challenges confronting cocoa farmers, particularly difficulties associated with accessing spraying equipment when needed.
Beneficiary farmers welcomed the initiative and expressed optimism that the machines would improve their access to spraying services. They also pledged to maintain the equipment properly and ensure that it was used for its intended purpose.
“This will help us a lot because access to spraying machines has been one of the major challenges facing cocoa farmers,” representatives of the beneficiary farmers said.
The ceremony was also used by some opposition Members of Parliament to raise broader concerns about government policies affecting cocoa farmers, particularly the producer price of cocoa.
The Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Offinso South, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, and MP for Ejisu, Kwabena Boateng, joined Dr Boako at the event.
The MPs criticised what they described as the government’s failure to fulfil campaign promises made to cocoa farmers ahead of the 2024 general election, particularly commitments relating to cocoa prices.
They argued that the subsequent reduction in the producer price had disappointed many farmers and could place additional pressure on the livelihoods of cocoa-producing communities.
The MPs subsequently urged cocoa farmers to critically assess government policies and its record on cocoa ahead of the 2028 general election.
