NDC promises to stop the sale of fertilizers to cocoa farmers

Regional news for Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-10-06

Former President John Dramani Mahama, a standard-bearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has promised to stop the sale of fertilizers to cocoa farmers.

He said that if the NDC comes to power on December 7, 2020, his administration would revert to the free fertilizer program for cocoa farmers that began years ago.

Mr. Mahama said this in Kwahu in the Aowin constituency when he addressed chiefs, elders and residents in a durbar as part of his four-day campaign tour to the North West Region.

The former president, who was received by a large crowd amid cheers, shouts and dances, explained that in 2016 when they gave free fertilizers to farmers to apply on their farms, 967 thousand metric tons of cocoa beans were exported.

He said that because the current government decided to offer the fertilizer for sale, farmers couldn’t afford it, so the country was able to export only 700,000 metric tons of cocoa beans this year.

He indicated that NDC is prepared to introduce more policies that would increase cocoa yield to help generate more income for the country.

Citing the high unemployment rate in the country, the NDC standard-bearer said it would create one million jobs for young people through small-scale mining operations.

According to him, in each District or Municipal a ‘Committee of the Gold Board’ would be established to register young people who might be interested in mining activities.

Mr. Mahama emphasized that to ensure that these people strictly adhere to safety measures in mining and also claim the lands after use, experts from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa would get involved to educate them. constantly.

He expressed his gratitude to the chiefs, elders and citizens of the Aowin constituency for their warm reception and asked them to vote en masse for him and the parliamentary candidate, Oscar Ofori Larbi, in the December 7 election for victory.

Kwahu chief Nana Tano Kabaah II called on the former president to ensure that his community receives a fair share of all development policies that it would implement if it wins the December elections.