Chemico Akuafo Project to boost cocoa production

A Tema-based agrochemical company, Chemico Limited, has introduced a new programme known as the Chemico Akuafo Project to boost cocoa production.

The Technical Consultant of the company, Mr. Kwame Obeng Adjina, said this at the end of a five-day training workshop for field officers at Bunso.

He said the project was aimed at complementing government’s mass cocoa spraying exercise programme, to enable many farmers deal with various cocoa diseases.

The training brought together field officers from the Western, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions.

Mr. Adjina said the company had introduced a number of inputs such as cocoset foliar fertiliser, Akate Master Insecticide, Cocofeed Plus granular fertiliser, Champion and Fungikill fungicides as well as Pulmic Amazona and CP15 hand sprayers.

He said the company’s field officers will collaborate with community extension agents of the CSSVD Control Unit of the COCOBOD to reach cocoa farmers in their operational areas.

The Executive Director of the company Mr. Kwadwo Kanabiri, said no attempt should be made to abandon the cocoa industry because of the oil industry.

He said the sector directly and indirectly employs about 2 million people, and constitutes a large chunk of Ghana's GDP

Mr. Donkor said it is unfortunate that Ghana after producing 1 million metric tonnes of cocoa could not sustain it, and urged the government and all stakeholders in the industry to learn from the mistakes of other countries that had discovered oil and to never repeat those mistakes.

“Cocoa is so dear to our hearts, so we should ensure that the sector continues to play a critical role in the economic development of the country,” he said.

He appealed to the government to implement measures and policies geared toward achieving the target of producing more than one million tonnes of cocoa annually.

Mr. Prince Agyemang Yeboah, Director of Sales and Marketing, said field officers will educate farmers on good agricultural practices as well as best management practices to enable them derive maximum benefits from their farming business.

He said major problems facing the company are the drastic reduction in business and insufficient support from the state agencies that purchase agricultural inputs and distribute to farmers under various subsidised schemes.

Mr. Agyemang-Yeboah said the equipment of the company meant for formulation and packaging insecticides, fungicides and fertilisers are under-utilised.

Credit: GNA