The government has so far put in K19 million for cost support to cocoa.
According to Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, the high-quality cocoa needed to be produced for the price to stay at K3 per kg. He added that last year, it was K10million and this year, K9 million as an incentive to growers to increase production.
He said that what was being rolled out now was the K10 million from last year.
“This year, the Government has allocated another K24 million (for agriculture price support), of which we have given another K9 million to cocoa, which makes it K19 million,” he said. “This money is for you (cocoa farmers). The money, however, will only be paid when you bring out your cocoa and weigh it on the scales.”
He added, “I want to see men and women in the villages who are involved in cocoa, I want to visit them, I want to see that their cocoa gardens are clean, I want to see a good production of cocoa, I want to see happy farmers who are receiving money.”
