The Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited, a subsidiary of Barry Callebaut Group has embarked on a programme called “Cocoa Horizon”, to support cocoa farmers for sustainable production.
The Cocoa Horizon is a programme designed by Barry Callebaut, an international producer of high quality chocolate and cocoa products.
To this end, the Management of Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited has presented a cheque for GHc 2,338,976 for their clients across the country at a durbar at Oda in the Eastern Region for the 2016/2017 main cocoa season.
The presentation was jointly made by Mr Joshy Varkey, the Managing Director of Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited and Mr William Agyapong Quaittoo, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Oda.
The cheque was received by Mr Alex Kwame Bempong, the Oda District Chief Cocoa Farmer.
Mr Robert Asugre, the Sustainability Manager of the Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the Cocoa Horizon project was currently being implemented in 24 districts including the Akim Oda District in the country.
He said the project was an in-house flagship sustainability programme to promote the company’s vision of sourcing and processing 100 per cent cocoa globally.
Mr Asugre said farmers under the programme were being trained on productivity enhancement and social capital development models such as good agricultural practices, good environmental practices, and social practices, which led to increase in crop production and higher income.
He said a total of 28,000 district cocoa farmers had been enrolled and were benefitting from the Cocoa Horizon programme.
He said the programme would be expanded to cover 40,000 farmers in the 2017/2018 cocoa season.
Mr Quaittoo, also the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture said government was committed to boosting cocoa production in the country, hence the subsiding of fertilizer prices for the farmers.
He said government was putting in measures to implement solar-power irrigation to ensure sustainable cocoa production.
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