Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, George Oduro has described as untrue claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that Ghana’s cocoa sector is almost collapsing as a result of the unavailability of funds to purchase cocoa beans.
According to him, the sector has rather become more lucrative as a result of measures introduced by the current administration.
There are suggestions by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that neighboring Ivory Coast has become the preferred destination for cocoa beans purchases by Ghanaian cocoa farmers.
The NDC Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh sounded the alarm bells on Accra based Adom Television that the sector is in distress and at the verge of collapse.
He noted that the beans have become very expensive in Ghana and that COCOBOD has run out of funds to pay for the purchases.
But the Deputy Minister who was called into the program to respond to the allegations said it was untrue that COCOBOD had run out of funds to purchase beans.
According to him, the pollination exercise introduced by COCOBOD has rather brought about an increase in yields, and that the sector is even better and profitable than it used to be.
He argued that the cocoa sector is being given all the attention it deserves as government places a premium on the sector given the important and crucial role it plays in the economic development of the country.
The Minister lauded the current Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD and his team for the numerous initiatives they have instituted to better the sector.
He said the government will continue to treat the sector as a very important one and will ensure farmers operate in a very profitable manner.
