By Anita Kwapong
Coconut growers in the Eastern Region have attended a day’s conference in Koforidua to deliberate on issues affecting coconut production in the country and how best to improve upon them.
The conference was themed, “Coconut Farming, Solution to Galamsey and Rural Poverty”.
Coconut has a lot of health benefits and other economic gains that when well invested in, creates great sources of employment, and improves livelihoods among other benefits.
Gradually, its cultivation is gaining roots to compete with other cash crops such as palm tree, cocoa, cashew among others. Ghana ranked 14th producer of coconut in the world in 2017. It has become pertinent that growers of coconut come together under one umbrella to make a case for themselves.
Coconut Farmers Association, Ghana, COFAG started as a small group in Western Region in 2018 and became an Association in 2020 with its presence in 11 out of the 16 regions in the country.
The Eastern Regional chapter has about three hundred members in ten districts of the 32 districts and municipalities. At the maiden conference of the Eastern Regional chapter of the Association, Ghana, members discussed ways and means they can increase coconut production for local consumption and for exports as well as making known the health and financial benefits of coconut to the public.
Regional Director of Agriculture, Henry Crentsil, noted that a lot of people are venturing into coconut farming and charged the members to consider adding value to the by- products of coconut such as coconut oil extraction in addition to the cultivation of the coconut.
National Vice President of Coconut Farmers Association Ghana, Bismark Gyeeku, asked chiefs and land owners to release lands for cultivation of coconut since it has varied economic benefits.
Deputy Regional Director of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, David Apetsi, said the Authority has since 2008 distributed 38,644 seedlings to farmers in the Eastern Region and appealed to the Association to be diligent in its dealings.
