Ghana has achieved the long-cherished goal of surpassing one million tonnes of cocoa in a season. The historic figure was realized in 2011, a significant increase from the comparative figure of 680,000 tonnes in 2008.
President John Evans Atta Mills said on February 16 that as of January 2012, Ghanaian farmers were being paid about 80% of the average international cocoa market price of $2,450 per tonne.
Mills said the Ghana Cocoa Board had begun a six-year re-planting programme to rehabilitate old cocoa farms. Farmers are to be given hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge to improve the country’s planting stock and improve yields.
African Agriculture