Mr Eric Opoku, The Ranking Member of the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee in Parliament, is calling for a probe into the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme launched in 2018.
The legislator argues that the programme, which identifies diseased farms, cuts down affected trees, and replants them with disease-resistant cocoa varieties, among other measures, has failed, as the country has lost some 500,000 hectares of cocoa farms to Swollen Shoot disease.
Speaking with the media, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Asunafo South constituency in the Ahafo region stated that, the programme must be investigated to unravel the cause of the significant loss.
He also alleged that the funds earmarked for the programme have been exhausted, leaving cocoa farmers in a dilemma.
According to him, he was reliably informed that, the amount of money earmarked for the rehabilitation Programme has been exhausted will soon hand over the farms to the farmers, even though some farms have just been cut down and not even planted and provided with plantain suckers.
He reiterated that, once we have exhausted the resources, they intend to hand over the farms, so if, at the time of handing over, the programme is escalating to this extent, then something is wrong somewhere, and need to interrogate.
Mr. Opoku further cast doubt on the assurances given by the chief executive officer of COCOBOD to ensure the programme’s continuation.
He disclosed that, the picture being created is very alarming, and does not believe in the assurances that the CEO is offering because they are in the field, and know what is happening there.
