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COCOBOD: What is happening?
Reports from many cocoa growing regions in the country indicate that many cocoa farmers have not been paid by the Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) for their purchased cocoa in the last two months even though the main cocoa season is tapering off.
Many cocoa farmers are reportedly in distress and anguish as a result of the non-payment of their already purchased cocoa beans. The health and economic implications to such farmers cannot be easily quantified.
And such farmers are compelled to seek for loans with very high interest payments, just to meet their basic needs.
Painfully, such a situation defeats government’s effort at investing more in the cocoa sector to motivate farmers to boost production to meet the projected target of one million metric tonnes annually.
In my view, it is only COCOBOD that can properly explain what is happening to our distressed cocoa farmers across the country.
Why am I saying so? As established, the functions of COCOBOD include production, research, extension, internal and external marketing and quality control of cocoa.
The functions are classified into two main sectors; pre-harvest and post-harvest, which are performed by specialised subsidiaries and divisions.
Now, COCOBOD, please listen. In the Buem District of the Oti Region, for example, it is reported that from just five LBCs, cocoa farmers are owed about GH¢ 12 million, representing about 17,000 bags of cocoa beans purchased by the LBCs but not paid for.
In the Western North Region, reports also indicate that only Cargill cocoa sourcing companies are adequately resourced to be paying for cocoa purchased from our farmers.
So, the question is: What is preventing COCOBOD from releasing funds to all the relevant LBCs to enable them to pay the farmers for cocoa beans purchased?
COCOBOD recently secured 1.3 billion-dollar loan facility to purchase cocoa beans for the 2020/21 crop season.
The loan facility is expected to assist COCOBOD to make upfront payment of cocoa beans it buys from cocoa farmers. If that is the case, then what is happening?
It must be noted most cocoa farmers depend on proceeds from the sale of their cocoa beans to fend for themselves and their families, besides hiring more farmhands in the preparation of new farmlands for subsequent farming seasons.
The cocoa proceeds also pay school fees of wards and children of cocoa farmers, apart from catering for their medical and domestic utility bills.
The 2017/18 Ghana Census of Agriculture(GCA) survey reveals that agricultural activities in Ghana still remain rural and rudimentary, with little innovation and moderniSation, and which is even made worse by an aging farmer population.
And so how do we improve the already dire situation with the concomitant delay in the payment of cocoa farmers who have legitimately sold their beans to the LBCs?
Experts say, to achieve any significant difference in terms of the results, the current modes of operation and characteristics of the persons and institutions engaged in agriculture in Ghana must be totally overhauled.
According to Professor Samuel Annim, Government Statiscian, there must be a deliberate strategy to attract the youth, especially those with tertiary-level education, among whom unemployment is high and who the census shows have very low participation in agriculture. But from what is confronting cocoa farmers now, how do we do it?
Readers, COCOBOD has projected cocoa production in Ghana to exceed 800,000 metric tonnes for the new crop season.
This is against the backdrop that in 2017 the government launched an ambitious plan to increase Ghana’s cocoa production to one million metric tonnes per annum.
Records indicate that currently, Ghana produces between 700,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes of cocoa annually.
Co-incidentally, however, cocoa farmers in Cote d’ Ivoire seem to be facing similar predicament.
Reportedly, cocoa farmers in the towns of Soubre, Daloa and Yamousoukro protested recently outside the offices of Le Conseil du Cafe Cacao (CCC), regulators of the Ivorian cocoa industry.
The reason? Reportedly, cocoa buyers are refusing to pay farmers and so beans are piling up in warehouses upcountry, thus, compelling some desperate cocoa farmers to sleep outside the offices of Cote d’ivoire’s cocoa regulator to demand action.
In Cote d’Ivoire’s situation, some analysts explain that it is due to the global chocolate standoff, whilst innocent farmers suffer for it.
The analysts claim that the large global chocolate makers and cocoa processors are deliberately trying to cut costs to derail the payment of the innovative Living Income Differential of $400 per a metric tonne of cocoa purchased from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
Consequently, last year, the analysts contend that some of the global companies sourced large quantities of cocoa beans through the New York futures market, where beans were cheaper than the physical cocoa market.
According to the analysts, the large global cocoa companies were trying to dodge the payment of the West African premium, called the Living Income Differential.
The cooperation by Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to demand $400 per metric tonne of cocoa was intended to boost income of our poor cocoa farmers.
But some of the big-time cocoa traders, processors and chocolate makers claim that the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire innovative plan which was recently implemented, is an OPEC-style attempt to boost prices that lacked the supply and demand economics, which is key to the OPEC cartel’s success.
Remember? Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, together produce over 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa but enjoy less than two per cent of the world’s 110 billion-dollar chocolate industry.
The question to COCOBOD, however, is: In Ghana’s situation, what is the problem? And how do we resolve it once and for all, in the face of the mountainous difficulties confronting agriculture generally in Ghana?
G. Frank Asmah
I experienced something on Monday, June 15, that really frustrated me. I had to go to the ministries but I could not get up early that day so I decided to pick a taxi and get to the Tuba Junction.
When I got there I realised that Traffic had built up from the Toll Booth towards Accra. After a while I got a Taxi and it was when we got to a certain spot on the road, that I realised why there was a traffic jam.
There is a short stretch of the road where each time it rains heavily, loose material run down the hill onto the road, blocking one side of the road. Vehicles from Kasoa to Accra are then forced to move into one of the lanes of those going towards Kasoa from Accra.
The two lane road from Accra to Kasoa becomes a single carriage way. That was the reason for the traffic jam from the toll booth onwards.
This has been a perineal problem and yet, no permanent solution has been found till date. The area falls under Ga South and even though, a new MCE has taken over, the technocrats are still there and so the problem is not new to them.
There is therefore no excuse for the inability of the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly to resolving the problem on that stretch of the road. Apart from the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly, another institution that must be held accountable is the Ghana Highways Authority.
The Highways Authority cannot say they are unaware of this issue. The fact that the problem falls within the area of responsibility of the Ga South Assembly, does not relieve the Ghana Highways Authority, of their responsibility of ensuring that our highways are maintained in a motorable state at all times.
A collaboration between the Ghana Highways Authority and The Ga South Municipal Assembly is required for a permanent resolution of the problem.
There was another traffic jam at a place called Atala about 250 metres to the traffic light at Old Barrier as a result of an issue similar to the one close to the toll booth, that I talked about earlier.
When we got to Weija junction, we encountered another traffic jam. The cause of this jam was a bad condition of road about 80 metres from the traffic light at Ga South Hospital heading towards Accra.
Due to the bad nature at that section of the road, vehicles are compelled to slow down resulting in a traffic jam stretching all the way to Weija Junction.
I started wondering if that short stretch of road cannot be sorted on one Sunday when traffic is usually light. When we got to the traffic light at Odorkor, there was another issue.
When the traffic light shows green, there is a slow down because there is a big pothole or should I say manhole in the outer lane, right at the traffic light. Vehicles in the outer lane are compelled to swerve into the second lane thereby causing a traffic to slow down and resulting in a traffic jam.
It is very important to take into account the effect of traffic jam on the national economy. If we are able to assess the value of the loss to the economy of the nation, I believe the issue of traffic jam will be prioritised.
Imagine persons working at various Government Organisations like Registrar General’s Department, Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, CEPS etc. and lives at Kasoa and whose job is to collect revenue for the state and is held up in traffic.
Just imagine the effect their lateness to work will have on the economy if you consider the delays in say clearing of goods at the port and as a result traders cannot sell their goods for government to generate the required taxes.
Let us deal with the traffic jams on our streets to promote economic growth. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Mortality is an inherent aspect of life, a universal experience that has sparked philosophical, theological, and scientific inquiry throughout human history.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of mortality, acknowledging the complexity of the topic and the diverse perspectives surrounding it.
The biological imperative
From a biological standpoint, death is a natural part of the life cycle. It serves as a mechanism for the evolution of species, allowing for the passing on of genetic material and the adaptation to environmental changes.
Evolutionary perspective: Death allows for the recycling of resources, promoting the survival and adaptation of species.
Life span and senescence: Cellular aging and the limitations of biological systems contribute to mortality.
Philosophical and existential perspectives
Existentialism: Emphasises individual freedom and responsibility in the face of mortality.
Meaning and purpose: The finite nature of life can prompt individuals to seek meaning and purpose.
The human condition: Mortality is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, shaping our perceptions and values.
Cultural and spiritual views
Afterlife and spirituality: Many cultures and religions believe in an afterlife or spiritual continuation.
Rituals and mourning: Cultural practices surrounding death reflect the significance of mortality in human experience.
Legacy and remembrance: The impact of one’s life can transcend mortality.
Ethical considerations
End-of-life care: Ethical debates surround issues like euthanasia, assisted dying, and palliative care.
Quality of life: Balancing the value of life with the quality of life is a complex ethical issue.
Resource allocation: Societal decisions about healthcare and resource distribution involve considerations of mortality.
Psychological impact
Grief and loss: The experience of mortality can evoke profound emotional responses.
Fear and anxiety: The awareness of mortality can lead to existential anxiety.
Appreciation and gratitude: Recognising mortality can foster appreciation for life.
Conclusion
Mortality is a multifaceted aspect of human existence, influencing how we live, relate, and find meaning. Understanding and acknowledging mortality can prompt deeper reflections on life and our place in the world.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
