Minority Caucus pledges to amplify concerns of cocoa farmers

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has pledged their dedication to ensure that cocoa farmers in the country derive optimum benefits from their hard work and to enhance their livelihoods.

Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and the Minority Chief Whip, emphasised that the caucus would continue to amplify the voice of the cocoa farmers in parliament and held the government accountable.
The MP gave the pledge when the Caucus paid courtesy calls on Osahene Kwaku Atekyi II, the Paramount Chief of the Kukuom Traditional Area and Nana Osei Kofi Abre II, the Paramount Chief of the Kenyasi Number One Traditional Area in the Ahafo Region.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh explained that their visit to the region was to enable the MPs to engage the cocoa farmers, identify and help tackle challenges affecting their socio-economic livelihoods.

He explained that as the embodiment of the people, it was imperative to engage the chiefs and queens of the area too, saying that cocoa remained the cornerstone of the economy, and farmers ought to be treated fairly.
“Our visits are driven by growing concerns of cocoa farmers, nationwide in connection with the recent reduction in cocoa producer price and delays in payments of cocoa farmers,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh explained.

At Kukuom, Osahene Atekyi also expressed concern that the delayed payment had affected the socio-economic livelihoods of many cocoa farmers and their families in the region and called on the government to expedite action and pay the farmers.

He said the interest of cocoa farmers remained paramount if the nation could produce more cocoa and quality beans.

In a related development, some aggrieved cocoa farmers at Buokrukruwain the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region on Tuesday demonstrated their displeasure about the government delays paying them, calling for the intervention of Parliament.

The visibly angry farmers were clad with red armbands and head gears and held placards with inscriptions like – “Mahama Akuafo Atamfo” and “John Mahama Bone Ben”, registered their protest when the Minority Caucus in Parliament visited the area.
According to the farmers, the government’s delays in the payment had affected their socio-economic livelihoods amid the reduction in the cocoa producer price and pleaded with the MPs to intervene.

Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Minority Chief Whip and the MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri explained that MPs were in the area to listen to the concerns, identify and help address emerging challenges confronting the farmers.
He emphasised that the Minority Caucus remained sensitive in alleviating the plights of the cocoa farmers and pledged their dedication to amplify their voices in parliament.

Earlier, Dr Gideon Boako, the MP for Tano North Constituency in the region, noted that the government had failed the cocoa farmers and urged them to remain calm, assuring that the caucus would continue advocating their rights in parliament.

From Augustine Agyapong, Kukuom

GNA

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