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The Produce Buying Company (PBC) Limited has released funds to the Central Regional branch of the Company for the payment of all arrears owed cocoa farmers in the area.
Mr Prosper Kwadjo Zegbla, Central Regional Manager of the PBC, who disclosed this to the Media at Agona Swedru, was in reaction to demands by Cocoa farmers, who claim they had not received payments for their produce sold to the company.
The Regional Manager assured the farmers that payment would start on Monday November 26, 2018, and appealed to them to remain calm and have confidence in the PBC since it cannot disappoint its cherished farmers.
He disclosed that the head office has released funds to the regional office through the Purchasing Clerks of the Company to effect payment to farmers in the various societies from Monday.
According to the Regional Manager, the PBC is a credible company and would continue to ensure that cocoa farmers welfare and needs are prioritized, adding that, the company would not do anything wrong to tarnish its image.
Mr Zegbla said since the beginning of the cocoa season from October 5 to November, 2018, a total of GHC28 Million worth of cocoa had been purchased and paid for, and that, evacuation had also begun at the various depots to the ports.
He said the Central Regional Office has requested for additional GHC20 million for the purchase of cocoa from November to December, 2018. The Regional PBC Manager told the Media that the Pollination Programme, one of the flagship initiatives embarked upon by government last year, had abundantly increased cocoa production in all cocoa growing communities.
He said last year, the PBC in the Central Regional purchased one million bags of cocoa and in 2018 it is expected to purchase over 1.2 million bags of cocoa as a result of the pollination programme.
Mr Zegbla called on cocoa farmers in the region not to put pressure on the Purchasing Clerks (PCs) at the various societies because the company is committed to settling every farmer financially to enable them to spend the yuletide.
He also appealed to the farmers not to entertain fear or panic when selling their produce to the PBC since it was a Ghanaian company and would continue to take care of their welfare.
