Each of them would receive Gh¢8 as bonus on each bag of cocoa sold to the company, Utz Limited, a leading cocoa buying agency in Ghana.

The initiative is being facilitated by the Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited, a subsidiary of Barry Callebaut, an international chocolate firm.

The announcement was made at a cocoa farmers’ durbar at Sefwi-Bekwai, in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai District of the Western Region, which attracted over 1,000 cocoa farmers from all the cocoa growing regions in the country.

Premium payment

The premiums, popularly known as bonuses, are paid to deserving farmers for selling certified cocoa beans to the company, based on premium grading by cocoa buyers on the international market.

The General Manager of the Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited, Mr Joshy Varkey, who announced the season’s premium payment, commended the farmers for their hard work during the season and urged them to continue to focus on improving not just the quantity but also the quality of the cocoa they produce.

Mr. Varkey, reiterated Utz commitment in establishing the right measures to ensure an increase in production of premium cocoa, whilst it works to improve the quality of life of all farmers within Utz’s operational areas.

Support

The Managing Director of Barry Callebaut Ghana, Mrs Charity Sackitey, explained that the goal of the company was to promote the welfare of farmers by working with them to attain improved and sustainable livelihood for themselves, their families and their communities at large, with education as one of their main priorities.

Regional Minister

The Western Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, commended UTZ and Nyonkopa Ghana for the immense role it was playing in the development of the country’s cocoa sector and charged the various Licensed Buying Company’s (LBCs) to strive to educate farmers to practice sustainable cocoa production in order to improve yield and also receive higher premium for their produce on the international market.

He reaffirmed the Akufo-Addo led government’s commitment in creating an enabling environment to expanding the cocoa industry and help create employment opportunities for the teeming youth.

District Chief Farmer

The Sefwi-Bekwai District Chief Farmer, Nana Mensah Konadu, commended the organisations for building the capacity of cocoa farmers, and urged them to give interest-free loans, and going forward set up cocoa scholarship scheme for their children. 

He, however, asked cocoa purchasing clerks (PC’s) not to take advantage of the illiteracy of some of the farmers and cheat them while weighing their cocoa beans.

That practice, he said, goes on unabated and had denied numerous farmers of their hard earned benefits.

Also present at the durbar were chiefs and queen mothers of the Sehwi Traditional Area.

Ultz offers attractive premiums to cocoa farmers