Fact Check: Ghana's cocoa production declined under Mahama
- COCOBOD Chief Executive, Joseph Aidoo, had extensively explained, Mahama government was ruinous for cocoa farmers
- According the COCOBOD CEO the slump in the production of cocoa during the Mahama era was even more surprising because the he provided free fertilisers for the farmers
- He opined that every government improved cocoa production by the time they left office except Mahama
The past week has seen President Akufo-Addo and former president John Mahama banter over who has had more productivity in the cocoa sector.
The who debate started last week when Mahama claimed that the NPP government is being “wicked” to cocoa farmers in the country.
Interacting with cocoa farmers and the people of Enchi in the Aowin Constituency of the Western North Region, Mahama said: “I feel very sad for our cocoa farmers. We had good plans and started implementing good policies for the cocoa sector.”
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According to him, cocoa farmers had better annual yields when the fertilisers were made free under his tenure.
The NDC flagbearer wondered why the Akufo-Addo government would halt such a move and rather sell the fertilisers to the cocoa farmers.
However, President Akufo-Addo equally rebutted the claims while speaking at a durbar held in Daboase, the capital of the Wassa East District, as part of his two-day tour of the Western Region.
The President stated that the Mahama Administration did “zero” for agriculture and cocoa production.
He further challenged the NDC to provide evidence of any policy implemented during their time which boosted the agricultural sector.
According to him, the NDC government even failed to sustain the gains chalked by the Kufuor administration in cocoa production and other areas in agriculture.
Now, the question is: which government among the two has really overseen more yields in the cocoa sector.
The statistics prove that cocoa production in Ghana declined under the erstwhile John Mahama government.
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During President John Agyekum Kufour’s time, the country’s cocoa production moved from some 350,000 metric tonnes to 750,000 tonnes.
Cocoa production continued to increase under the John Evans Atta-Mills government, from 750,000 metric tonnes to 1 million tonnes.
However, there was a drastic decrease in production during the tenure of John Mahama. Production of cocoa reduced from 1 million tonnes to 700,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo government has moved the production of cocoa back up to moved it up to 900,000 tonnes since assuming office.
So, the records are clear and it indicates that Ghana's cocoa production declined under the Mahama administration.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
