COCOBOD relaunches free fertilizer programme with new monitoring platform to boost farmer incomes

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has re-launched the Free Fertilizer and Agro-Input Programme for cocoa farmers, aiming to boost productivity, improve farmer incomes, and reset the cocoa sector. This major intervention shifts the distribution from a 50-percent subsidy to free fertilizer, viewing it as a complete reset in government's support for farmers and cocoa production.

Over 3.5 million bags of granular fertilizer have been procured for nationwide distribution, with approximately 1.2 million bags already delivered. A new digital platform has been developed to ensure accountability and fair distribution.

CEO of COCOBOD, Dr. Randy Abbey, emphasized the government's commitment to alleviating farmers' financial burdens. He stated that free fertilizer is not a handout, but an investment in farmers, the soil, and the country's foreign exchange earnings. The relaunch, held in Sefwi Wiawso, brought together government officials, traditional leaders, farmers, and other stakeholders.

Farmers with mature and productive cocoa plantations in designated operational district areas are expected to receive fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, and free pneumatic and motorized sprayers.

Dr. Abbey acknowledged previous distribution systems' challenges, such as diversion, smuggling, favoritism, and unfair distribution. To address these issues, COCOBOD has implemented a new digital system to track every input from warehouses to farms. Beneficiaries must register and have their farms marked and captured on the Digital Cocoa Management System (CMS).

Every farmer's entitlement will be automatically calculated based on their farm's size and condition, preventing officers from adding or deducting from the allocation.

The cocoa industry faces several challenges, including declining productivity, ageing farms, rising production costs, labor constraints, soil fertility issues, pest and disease threats, and climate variability. Dr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Board Chairman of COCOBOD, stressed that these challenges require deliberate, coordinated, and sustained interventions.

The distribution of fertilizers aligns with the government's commitment to addressing these challenges and sustaining a sustainable cocoa economy that benefits farmers and promotes environmental resilience and social inclusion.