By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The 2025 National Award-winning cocoa and coffee farmers, together with executives of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE), have paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, to express appreciation for the Board’s recognition and sustained support to farmers.
The visit brought together some of Ghana’s most outstanding cocoa producers to engage COCOBOD on issues affecting the sector, while reaffirming their commitment to responsible and sustainable cocoa farming.
Speaking during the engagement, the 2025 National Best Cocoa Farmer, Edward Kwame Yeboah, made a strong appeal to Ghanaian youth to abandon illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and take up cocoa farming as a viable and rewarding livelihood.
According to Mr. Yeboah, cocoa farming, when done properly and with support from COCOBOD, provides long-term economic security and protects the environment, unlike illegal mining, which destroys farmlands, water bodies, and future opportunities.
“Cocoa farming has taken care of my family and given me national recognition. I urge the youth to quit galamsey and embrace cocoa farming, which offers sustainable income and preserves our land for future generations,” he said.
During the meeting, the farmers also outlined several operational challenges confronting cocoa production, including input costs and infrastructure deficits, and appealed to COCOBOD to help address them.
The COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Ransford Abbey, acknowledged the concerns and assured the farmers that despite the current challenges facing the sector, there remains hope for Ghana’s cocoa industry.
He reaffirmed COCOBOD’s commitment to improving farmer livelihoods and sustaining Ghana’s reputation as a producer of premium-quality cocoa.
