The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has admitted that the smuggling and theft of fertilizers promised cocoa farmers during their tenure of office was possible but however denied claims they never provided farmers with the said fertilizers.
According to the party, they honoured their promise to the latter and supplied all cocoa farmers with free fertilizes and other farm implements.
The NDC’s manifesto spokesperson on Agriculture, Dr. Yakubu Alhassan stated this in an interview with Happy 98.9 FM’s Samuel Eshun, host of the Happy Morning Show.
“It is scandalous to say we didn’t give out free fertilizers to cocoa farmers. If we didn’t, why did they (NPP) subsidize the same fertilizers by 60% for cocoa farmers?” he asked.
Noting that all policies can be taken advantage of irrespective of the government in power, Dr. Alhassan said, “If you have effective policies, there will be charlatans taking advantage of them for their own benefit and this happens no matter which government is in power.
Under the New Patriotic Party (NPP), $12 million worth of fertilizers got missing under the planting for food and jobs policy. Criminals exist no matter what political party is in power”.
Under the NPP, COCOBOD scrapped the free cocoa fertilizer distribution scheme introduced by the John Mahama administration and offered the fertilizers at a subsidized amount for farmers.
Under the new policy, which seeks to improve yield of cocoa farms, a bag of the granular fertilizer used by these farmers is now being sold at GH₵80.00 representing a subsidy of 53.4% and a litre of liquid fertilizer being sold at GH₵20.00 representing a subsidy of 81.03% the fertilizer.
‘Fertilizer Politics’
The President Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration had in the run-up to the 2016 general elections, promised to subsidize cocoa fertilizers.
But in response, John Mahama, who was the President then told the NPP, “You can’t subsidize what is given free.”
His administration in 2014 freely distributed over 1.6 million bags of inorganic fertilizers, 220, 000 bags of organic fertilizers and 1.7 million litres of foliar fertilizers.
Ex-President Mahama in the heat of the 2016 election, stepped up the free distribution, with his administration announcing the sharing of some 2.5 million bags of granular fertilizer and 1.4 million litres of liquid or foliar fertilizer.
Target Missed
Despite the free distributions, cocoa production declined.
In the 2015/2016 cocoa season, government reportedly missed its 850,000 metric tonnes target producing 690,000 metric tonnes. It therefore missed its target by 160,000 metric tonnes.
Cocoa production in Ghana has since 2011, been reducing due to several reasons ranging from bad weather, swollen shoot disease, poor management and smuggling to neighbouring countries, among others.
The NPP administration made a strong pledge to reverse the fortunes of the cocoa industry should they win power and claims to have done so at a press conference organized yesterday by the party.
By: Joel Sanco