COCOBOD distributes over 100,000 coffee seedlings to farmers
The Seed Production Division of COCOBOD and the Dormaa Central Municipal Assembly have joined force to distribute 123,360 coffee seedlings to 226 farmers in the Municipality at a cost of GH¢10,000.
The distribution is under Government flagship program, Planting for Export and Rural Development. It saw over 15 communities receiving the coffee seedlings.
The communities that received the seedlings for the third quarter, were Benekwakrom, Asunsu Number Two, Agyemankrom, Asunsu Number One, Asikasu, Kosane, Benekrom, Nsesereso, Nsuhia, Antwirifo.
Other communities that received the coffee seedlings include; Maasu, Manteware, Danyame, Kokorasua, Kuren, Koradaso, Twumkrom, Ahiresu and Ahogono.
Drissa Ouattara, the Dormaa Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) disclosed this when he spoke at the Assembly’s final ordinary session at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.
Accoring to him, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had also distributed cocoa fertilisers and pesticides against swollen shoot, black pod, and Akate diseases to the farmers.
The MCE expressed the hope for bumper harvest in all crop growing areas due to the conducive weather conditions and control of the fall armyworm and other pest invasions.
Mr Ouattara said as at August 31, the total Internally Generated Fund in his municipality stood at GH¢612,457 out of the approved budget estimate of GH¢534,766 representing 76.03 per cent of the annual budget of Ghc971, 805.
He said the total expenditure for the same period was GH¢421,347.80 representing 78 per cent with a surplus of GH¢117, 819.48.
He added that, the Assembly would enroll Electronic Billing and Payment system next year to enhance revenue mobilisation and reduce leakages to the barest minimum.
The coffee species that thrive in Ghana is the Robusta which is cultivated mainly in six (6) out of the ten (10) regions namely Ashanti, Brong, Ahafo, Eastern, Central, Western and Volta Regions.
The coffee season in Ghana runs from October to September. The planting period starts in May at onset of the rains and harvesting starts in September. Coffee yield in Ghana was estimated at 2.0tonnes per hectare in 2014.
Meanwhile, under the CDP, COCOBOD supplies free coffee seedlings, fertilizers, wellington boots, cutlasses, etc-to Ghanaian coffee farmers to boost their interest in the sector.
Payments towards land preparation, lining and pegging, weeding and transportation of seedling were also made to participating farmers.
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In addition, COCOBOD has developed high stock of planting materials through its subsidiaries, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana ( CRIG) and Seed Production Division (SPD) for distribution for farmers for free.
