Communications team member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ablekuma Central constituency, Richard Antwi, popularly known as Warrior. It is only propaganda that will make members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) downplay the new price for cocoa.
He posited that Ghanaian cocoa farmers will appreciate the new piece announced for cocoa because this government has demonstrated goodwill to cocoa farmers.
Appearing on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he said the cocoa pricing under the regime of the previous NDC government was nothing to write home about.
‘’ So when members of the NDC come public to claim that we are shortchanging cocoa farmers, it is just propaganda. I don’t understand them. Cocoa farmers are still receiving their fertilizers. Even in the face of the Russian-Ukraine war, the provision of fertilisers for cocoa farmers has been constant. When you travel to Cote d’ivoire, they don’t have agricultural extension officers, and so they have to pay for such services, but in Ghana here, we are providing these services to farmers for free. Whether the fertiliser is subsidised or not, we are providing it to the farmers constantly.
He stressed that the pricing for cocoa has been good, and those claiming farmers have been shortchanged are peddling falsehood and must be ignored.
According to him, the NPP has initiated policies that have improved the cocoa sector, unlike the Mahama government, which virtually plundered the sector.
He stated that farmers are far better off today than yesterday, and tomorrow looks even more promising.
He asked cocoa farmers to exercise patience since it is the vision of the government to increase the price of cocoa to the GHC 6,000 they requested.
‘’That is the vision of this government. For a government that has increased the price of the 64-kg bag from Ghc 400 and something to Ghc 3,000 within a space of seven years is a government you can trust. I am believing that by next year, we will see these things manifest, and cocoa farmers will be extra happy,’’ he told host Kwabena Agyapong.
He therefore called on cocoa farmers to vote against Mahama because he will disrupt the good work done in the sector and erode all the gains achieved under the Akufo-Addo government.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
