The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr. Joseph Aidoo, has announced that all is set to implement the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme for all cocoa farmers across Ghana in October this year (2020).
He said the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA) would be the manager of the scheme, adding that the scheme would not only care for cocoa farmers when they retire but would guarantee the sustainability of Cocoa production in the country as the youth would be attracted to cocoa farming.
Mr said this on Monday (September 14) when he paid a courtesy call on members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs to brief them of the achievements and challenges of COCOBOD and the way forward.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of operations of Cocoa, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, and Directors and research Scientists from COCOBOD.
The CEO said the implementation of the scheme was in fulfillment of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s promise to cocoa farmers in 2016.
He said COCOBOD was set to roll out a cocoa management system, which sought to access the Bio-data of Cocoa farmers.
Mr. Aidoo said the Bio-data would afford COCOBOD the opportunity to streamline operations and cater for the welfare of farmers.
He said under the system, COCOBOD would measure the acreage of each cocoa farm and that identification cards would be issued to farmers before they could market their farm produce, noting that payment to farmers would be made on their ID cards to avoid snatching of their money by armed robbers.
