Media practitioner, Jacob Menkah dissect the ills affecting Ghana’s Cocoa industry and shares his thoughts on what should be done.
The Republic of Ghana ironically still holds the record of being one of the quality leading producers of Cacao (Cocoa) in the world. In as much as the country’s Cocoa industry have failed to put in the right measures for the industry to thrive.
Natural resources are resources which are derived from nature. Therefore, the utilization of a country’s natural resources to the benefits of it citizenry lies solely in the hands of the leaders who are given the mandate to employ measures which would add some form of modification, value addition and creation of avenues for the commercial aspect to prevail which in the long run improves the country’s economy.
To that effect, Ghana as a country has been blessed with enviable natural resources such as Gold, Diamond, Bauxite, Forest, Crude oil, Cocoa and many other resources.
Zeroing in on Cocoa, this is a natural resource which has the potential of elevating Ghana from it current economic woes. My question is, why isn’t that the case as I speak?
Brief note on how Ghana’s Cocoa industry began:
Ghana began cultivation of Cocoa in the year, 1895 after Mr Tetteh Quarshie came back from Bokoi, a suburb in Equatorial Guinea. After a decade of the plantation of Cocoa. The Ghana cocoa board was then established by an ordinance to serve as the regulatory and policy making body for the Cocoa industry in 1947. The Cocoa board was set up with a sum of GH¢27 million which was at a time, the country’s share of the net profit gained from the West African Produce Control Board as its initial working capital.
Further, within a space of sixteen years, in the last quarter of the 19th century, Ghana exported it first ever cocoa beans which was in the year, 1911. As a result of the quality of Cocoa being produced, between the years 1911 to 1976, Ghana became the world’s leading producer of cocoa and made a contribution of thirty to forty per cent of the world’s total out put.
Fast forward, the cocoa industry hasn’t yielded the enormous and life changing results it was anticipated to birth due to certain factors such as;
(1) Land degradation by illegal miners.
(2)Inadequate requisite knowledge of modern methods of farming
(3) Government ailing woefully in providing subsidized Cocoa farming products.
(4) Ghana Cocoa board failing to make the Cocoa industry lucrative
However, the leadership style in the cocoa industry is averting Ghana from plugging enormous benefits such as;
(1)Employment.
(2)It’s a source for poverty elimination.
(3) Improves Ghana’s Balance of Payments deficits
Therefore, Ghana as a sovereign state has failed to improve on the high standard of producing and managing their Cocoa industry.
in the last few two decades, Ghana has imported Cocoa beans in order for her to continue cultivating Cocoa. The letter below is a prove to it.
This is appalling and it should not be the case if not for bad leadership and neglection of the Cocoa sector.
It’s better late than never, leadership should fix this problem or Ghana as a country will continue wallowing in the pit of failed grace.
