Despite the global challenges with the supply of agrochemicals, the Aboso Gold Mine Limited (AGL), in collaboration with the Gold Fields Foundation, has provided 407 liquid Green OK fertilisers, 90 mist blowers, and 900 ‘Akate’ insecticide to over 600 cocoa farmers in its catchment communities.
Each host community received six of the mist blower machines to be used by all cocoa farmers within the area. Also 36% of the beneficiaries of the free fertilisers, Akate insecticide, and mist blower machines were women.
The free supply of the agrochemicals was a renewal of an annual programme by the Mine, in consultation with the Damang Mine Consultative Framers Association (DMCFA). Dubbed ‘Cocoa Farmers Support Scheme’, a total of $80,000.00 was being expended on this year’s support programme, with an estimated $265,000 already expended since the start of the programme in 2018.
Welcoming the farmers to the programme, the Acting General Manager of AGL, Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, pointed out that apart from the free implements, each of the nine catchment communities would receive a minimum of six machines to be used by all cocoa farmers within the area, and not just the beneficiaries of the programme.
This approach, according to the Acting General Manager, was to encourage co-operative farming and farmers’ interdependence on technical knowledge.
Ms Kuupol Kuutor said a detailed user agreement was being prepared under the guidance of the District Office of the Cocoa Health & Extension Division of Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to manage the mist blowers.
This, she said, would be modeled after the government’s mass spraying and spraying gang structure to ensure proper use and maintenance of the machines.
The Municipal Chief Framer, Nana Thomas Boakye, on his part, said the agrochemical given freely to the farmers was an indication that the host communities were enjoying the social intervention programmes being undertaken by the mine.
He further said the farmers have had a good relationship with the mine.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Isaac Drasmani, applauded the mine for the annual cocoa support scheme.
The Acting Vice President, Operations of AGL, Michiel Van der Merwe, applauded the contribution of farmers to national development and gave the assurance that the mine would co-operate with the farmers.
BACKGROUND
The AGL, through the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, has been supporting cocoa farmers in the catchment areas of the mine with free cocoa inputs since 2018.
This initiative was conceived after the government of Ghana reformed its policy towards cocoa production -distributing free and subsidised fertilisers.
The basic objective of the programme is to select and support 120 cocoa farmers annually with the needed inputs to boost annual cocoa production of beneficiary farmers by at least 3%.
The initiative is also meant to help sustain employment in the area of cocoa production and establish the fact that mining can co-exist with farming.
Since inception of the programme, over 600 cocoa farmers with a combined farm size of 1200 acres have benefitted. Each beneficiary farmer receives support for three consecutive years before exiting the programme. The second batch of beneficiaries selected in the year 2019 exited last year. This has made room for an addition of a new batch of 120 farmers this year.
In 2021, new inputs including insecticides and fungicides were introduced and added to the fertilisers for distribution to beneficiary farmers.
This was upon request by the leadership of the Damang Mine Consultative Framers Association. This year, the scheme saw a total of 600 cocoa farmers benefit from free fertilisers, Akate insecticide and many others.
Present at this year’s cocoa support programme were Nana Kwabena Amponsah, Chief of Bosumtwi, Nana Akua Ayaa, Queenmother of Amoanda, Nana Ama Saara, Queenmother of Subri, and Nana Adjoa Kyerekuah, Queenmother of Kuduakrom.
Others were some elected Assembly Members, including George Nyersor, Member for Aboso, Anthony Owusu, Member for Damang, Isaac Kumi, and Member for Subri amongst many others.
