The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has distributed more than 2.8 million free hybrid cocoa seedlings, including 67,794 economic shade trees, to 2,705 farmers in the Techiman South District of the Bono East Region, as part of efforts to boost cocoa production amid climate-related challenges.
The intervention, which also included the distribution of 21,000 bags of free Ultimate granular fertiliser, comes as farmers in the district grapple with declining yields linked to high temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns. Many of the beneficiary farmers had already applied the fertiliser in anticipation of improved crop performance.
Climate-Smart Farming Push
In an interview with The Ghanaian Times yesterday, the Techiman District Extension Coordinator of COCOBOD’s Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), Nana Osei Agyeman Prempeh, said the distribution targeted affected communities including Ayigbe, Nkoranza, Jama and Wenchi.
He explained that the package of improved seedlings, shade trees and fertiliser was designed to help farmers rebuild their farms and adopt climate-smart practices in the face of changing weather conditions.
Mr Prempeh disclosed that the district office had proposed irrigation programmes to COCOBOD management as an additional measure to help farmers sustain production, noting that reliance on rainfall alone had become increasingly risky.
Intercropping, Organic Manure Recommended
He encouraged farmers to embrace climate-smart agricultural practices such as intercropping cocoa with cashew, applying organic manure and regular pruning of cocoa trees.
According to him, cashew trees can provide beneficial shade for cocoa farms, while decomposing leaves and other organic matter help improve soil fertility.
“Farmers must use organic materials such as poultry droppings and cow dung to improve soil conditions. Pruning helps improve airflow within cocoa farms and reduce conditions that favour insect infestations,” Mr Prempeh advised.
Optimism Despite Challenges
Despite the production difficulties, Mr Prempeh expressed optimism about the future of cocoa farming in the district, citing the distribution of improved planting materials and fertiliser, alongside the promotion of climate-smart practices, as measures capable of helping farmers recover and improve yields.
The Techiman South intervention forms part of COCOBOD’s broader national strategy to sustain Ghana’s cocoa output, which has come under pressure from illegal mining activities, disease and increasingly erratic weather patterns in key growing regions.
