{
  "id": 19158011,
  "title": "Sprayers demand 6-month salary arrears as COCOBOD relaunches free fertilizer programme",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/sprayers-demand-6-month-salary-arrears-as-cocobod-relaunches-free",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T13:31:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/sprayers-demand-6-month-salary-arrears-as-cocobod-relaunches-free-fertilizer-programme/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sprayers at a recent relaunch of the government's Free Fertilizer and Agro-Input Programme for cocoa farmers staged a protest due to unpaid salaries that had accumulated for over five months. These workers, essential to the Ghana Cocoa Board's field operations, voiced their concerns at the event, stating they could not continue working under such poor conditions. The sprayers demanded immediate payment of their overdue allowances and emphasized their vital role in the cocoa value chain. Despite brief disruptions, organizers managed to restore focus to the new programme. COCOBOD Chairman Dr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo assured the sprayers that their six months' arrears had been settled and that they would soon receive payment notifications. Dr. Ofosu-Ampo acknowledged their grievances and announced that their monthly allowance would be raised to GH¢700, alongside increased allowances for other field staff. He highlighted the board's commitment to improving welfare and revealed a 100 percent increase in loading and offloading fees for chemicals. The government also provided safety equipment for farmers and field workers to combat fake fertilizers.",
  "summary": "The relaunch of the government’s Free Fertilizer and Agro-Input Programme for cocoa farmers was nearly disrupted as some cocoa spraying personnel attempted to stage a protest at the event over their unpaid salaries.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "KBC",
        "title": "Wetangula intensifies Ruto re-election campaigns in Western region",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/wetangula-intensifies-ruto-re-election-campaigns-in-western-region",
        "published": "2026-11-09T08:10:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Chronicle Ghana",
        "title": "COCOBOD relaunches free fertilizer programme to ‘reset’ cocoa sector",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/cocobod-relaunches-free-fertilizer-programme-to-reset-cocoa-sector",
        "published": "2026-11-09T11:06:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}