Cocoa Coffee Sheanut Farmers Association demands solar torch from COCOBOD for farmers

Ghana Cocoa Coffee Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE) is asking COCOBOD to provide safety tools, solar torch lights and mosquito nets to its members.

The availability of the working tools, they explained, would protect them from mosquitoes and snake bites that cause loss of productive hours and health burden to its members. 

Mr Imoro Issifu, the Spokesperson of COCOSHE, speaking to journalists on Monday in Accra, said the leadership were assured of the supply of the working tools by President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo during their visit to the President in 2019.

“At the May 10, 2019, engagement, the President instructed COCOBOD to meet the request as soon as possible but nothing has been done. This is affecting our work,” he said.

Mr Issifu stated that the association followed up to the COCOBOD on two occasions to remind them of provision of the tools, but the promise had not been fulfilled.

He said the solar touch lights and the mosquito nets were of tremendous importance, explaining that it helps farmers in remote communities in the Cocoa areas.

The sheanut pickers, he said, used the touch lights to pick Sheanut with ease as it brightens under the shea trees.

He said, “the supply of the items to farmers in the past has impacted positively on the health, welfare and safety of our farmers. It has indeed served as an incentive for increased production.”

Mr Issifu appealed to the Government to treat the request of COCOSHE farmers as an emergency, saying it had been long overdue.

“It is therefore in the best interest of the Cocoa Coffee and Sheanut industries that the request of the farmers is met as it is long overdue,” he said. 

Source: GNA