Acting CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, has reassured cocoa industry stakeholders of his dedication to raising cocoa farmers’ standard of living and promoting industry development.
Dr. Abbey reiterated his commitment to President John Dramani Mahama’s cocoa industry goal.
He pointed out that putting farmers at the center of the creation and application of policies is a top priority in this approach.
The acting CEO also disclosed that, as part of his hands-on leadership style, he has already started interacting directly with cocoa growers, indicating his goal to forge solid alliances with stakeholders.
“All we will bring on board will be hard work and strong leadership to deliver on the President’s vision as long as the cocoa industry is concerned.
“I had a meeting with cocoa farmers this morning and the President’s vision is to put the cocoa farmer at the centre of everything so we will engage more and we know where the problems are and we are going to turn things around.”
Ghana, the second-largest cocoa grower in the world, depends largely on the commodity for both its economic growth and export revenue.
However, poor pricing, restricted access to inputs, and the effects of climate change on productivity have long been problems for cocoa growers.
Randy Abbey acknowledged the issues and emphasized the need of working with stakeholders to create long-term solutions.
