Accra: The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has initiated a comprehensive farmer sensitisation campaign across the nation to inform cocoa farmers about the reintroduced Free Fertiliser and Agro-Inputs Distribution Programme, alongside major reforms aimed at revitalising the cocoa sector. This initiative is currently being rolled out in the Western South and Ashanti cocoa-growing regions by COCOBOD's Public Affairs Department, in collaboration with the Cocoa Diseases and Pest Control (CODAPEC) Unit of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED).
According to Ghana News Agency, the campaign's objective is to ensure that cocoa farmers are well-informed about the operational aspects of the free input distribution programme and the broader reforms intended to enhance productivity, improve farmer livelihoods, and ensure the long-term sustainability of cocoa production. Mr Benjamin Teye Larweh, Deputy Head of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, praised the resilience and dedication of cocoa farmers amidst recent challenges within the sector. He reassured them of COCOBOD's commitment to restoring confidence in the industry through policy reforms and improved stakeholder engagement to enhance productivity and farmer welfare.
Mr Larweh addressed concerns regarding temporary delays in producer payments, attributing them to financing constraints caused by a sharp decline in international cocoa prices. He noted that COCOBOD had released significant funds to Licensed Buying Companies to settle outstanding payments. He urged farmers to disregard misinformation about the cocoa sector and to rely solely on official communications from COCOBOD and its authorised representatives.
Moreover, Mr Larweh revealed that a new COCOBOD Bill is being prepared for parliamentary consideration. This bill aims to introduce reforms in producer price determination, crop financing, institutional governance, and the protection of cocoa farms against illegal mining and other threats. Additionally, he highlighted the Board's efforts to implement traceability and sustainability reforms to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation, African Regional Standards, and other international requirements to safeguard Ghana's premium cocoa market.
Mr Seidu Iddrisu Abu, National Coordinator of Cocoa Disease and Pest Control (CODAPEC), explained that the reintroduced programme marks a transition from the previous subsidised input system to a fully government-funded intervention. This shift is designed to reduce production costs and improve transparency in input distribution. Only registered cocoa farmers with productive farms documented in the Cocoa Management System and other approved records are eligible for the programme. Farms that are abandoned, moribund, diseased, or impacted by illegal mining and land-use conversion will be excluded.
Mr Abu elaborated that fertiliser allocation will be based on scientific agronomic assessments. Productive farms will receive three bags of granular fertiliser per acre, up to a maximum of 10 acres per farmer, while younger and mature farms will receive inputs tailored to their specific needs. The programme will be implemented through 247 decentralised community distribution centres supervised by Community Task Forces, incorporating strict accountability measures such as beneficiary lists, communal fertiliser application, retrieval of empty fertiliser sacks, and continuous field monitoring.
Furthermore, Mr Abu announced the distribution of 89,000 personal protective equipment items-including overalls, wellington boots, gloves, nose masks, hats, and goggles-to spraying gangs and, for the first time, society chief farmers. This initiative is part of the CODAPEC programme to enhance safety. The campaign will also educate farmers about a tertiary education scholarship scheme for the children of cocoa farmers, set to commence in the 2026/27 academic year, as part of COCOBOD's efforts to position farmers at the centre of the sector's transformation.