{"id":3346,"date":"2024-08-23T01:11:19","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T01:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/?p=3346"},"modified":"2024-08-23T01:11:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T01:11:20","slug":"cocoa-farmers-call-for-emergency-declaration-to-address-sectors-pressing-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/?p=3346","title":{"rendered":"Cocoa farmers call for emergency declaration to address sector&#8217;s pressing challenges.&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/uwordpressmedia.blob.core.windows.net\/uwordpressmedia01\/2024\/08\/47574115.295-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3347\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana (CFAG) has sounded the alarm over the deteriorating financial state of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which has placed the nation\u2019s cocoa industry in a precarious situation.<br><br>In response, the CFAG is urging a declaration of state of emergency, further urging the government, stakeholders, and the international community to act swiftly to prevent the collapse of this vital industry.<br><br>Farmer General Nana Oboadie Boateng Bonsu, the convener of the Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana made this call in a statement dated August 22, 2024<br><br>&#8220;COCOBOD, the body responsible for purchasing cocoa from farmers, is reportedly facing severe financial challenges, leaving it unable to fulfil its obligations. This situation poses a grave threat to the livelihoods of over 800,000 cocoa farmers, many of whom depend on cocoa farming as their primary source of income,&#8221; the statement said.<br><br>According to the statement, the inability of COCOBOD to purchase cocoa due to a lack of funds could have devastating consequences for the entire industry, which contributes significantly to Ghana&#8217;s economy.<br><br>The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) is explaining that Ghana\u2019s cocoa industry accounts for approximately 20% of the country&#8217;s GDP. The average income for a cocoa farmer in Ghana is estimated at GHS 2,500 (approximately $400 USD) per annum, according to a 2020 study by COCOBOD.<br><br>The current financial crisis, therefore, threatens not only the farmers\u2019 livelihoods but also the broader economic stability of the country\u2019 the statement said.<br><br>In response to this urgent situation, the CFAG is advocating for the establishment of a Cocoa Bank, funded by a nationwide fundraising campaign aimed at raising $5 billion.<br><br>This Cocoa Bank would provide the necessary financial resources to purchase cocoa from farmers, ensuring they receive fair prices for their produce and stabilizing the industry in the process.<br><br>The CFAG is calling on the government, all political parties, stakeholders, and the international community to rally behind this initiative.<br><br>The association has requested that all political parties temporarily halt their campaign activities to focus on addressing this crisis.<br><br>CFAG believes that a united effort is crucial to safeguard the future of Ghana\u2019s cocoa industry and protect the livelihoods of those who depend on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana (CFAG) has sounded the alarm over the deteriorating financial state of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which has placed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3346"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3348,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346\/revisions\/3348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbmediaonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}