The Effiduase Cocoa Health Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD in the Sekyere East District of the Ashanti region, has distributed a total of 5,920 cocoa seedlings to four institutions within its operational area to cultivate.
The institutions are Tweneboa Kodua, Dadease Agriculture and T.I Ahmadiya Senior High Schools, as well as the Asante Juaben Traditional Council.
Mr Patrick Asare-Mensah, the District Cocoa Officer, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency, after inspecting some pollinated farms in the area, said distribution formed part of the “One Acre of Cocoa Farm, One SHS project”.
He said, the project seeks to increase cocoa production, boost the interest of the youth in cocoa farming and sustain the future of the cocoa industry, by introducing cocoa cultivation to the youth through partnership programs with SHS students and their school managements.
Mr Asare-Mensah, who is a Principal Technical Officer at COCOBOD, said the project was spearheaded by the Ghana Cocoa Board through the Effiduase District Directorate of CHED covering the Juaben Municipal, Sekyere Kumawu, Sekyere Central and the Afram Plains political districts.
He explained that after distributing 5,478 seedlings to the schools in 2023 and 2024, the Juaben traditional council showed interest in the program and 450 cocoa seedlings were offered for planting on an acre land behind the palace last year.
Activities in the exercise, he said, involved the measuring of farm areas with Global Positioning System (GPS), distributing seedlings, assisting in planting, supervising operational activities among others.
He said the program had added value to the pollination farms, which over the years, boosted cocoa production and currently increased quantity and was set for improved production in the next season.
He urged all Stakeholders to render their maximum efforts to support the arrangements for the targeted increased cocoa productivity in the area.
He also urged the students to take the program seriously and work hard towards its success in order to help them to enjoy its corresponding benefits in future.
Mr Asare-Mensah commended the CHED staff for their cooperation and commitment to duty particularly towards the caring of the pollinated farms, which was bearing encouraging fruits prior to the approaching main crop season.
Nana Agyei Sikapa, the Akyeamehene of the Asante Juaben Traditional Council, commended the district CHED for establishing a cocoa farm at the palace.
He said cocoa had been Ghana’s biggest economic backbone since ancient times and the move to educate students about it and capture their interest in its production through the program was in a good direction.
