Cocoa Farms Are Being Sold Off At �Ridiculously Low Prices��Yet They Can�t Find Buyers

A former Minister of Health under the erstwhile Kufour Administration claims cocoa farmers are selling their farms �at ridiculously low prices�. Dr. Kweku Afriyie asserts the level of hardship being experienced in the cocoa industry is at an all-time high and that is driving the sale of farms at cheap prices. ��.the level of destitution in Sefwi (noted for its cocoa production) here is unbelievable. There are many who want to sell their farms but are not even getting buyers. They are selling their farms at ridiculously low prices because of school fees and other things,� he alleged. According to him, �we are in the grips of a huge economic recession because nothing is happening. Data available in my hospital indicates that OPD attendance has fallen and there is a rise in admissions. This means that patience wait for too long before reporting an ailment�. In Dr. Afriyie�s view, the government of Ghana would not be able to attain the 800,000 metric tons projection it made for the year due to the difficulties in the industry now. ��they would not be able to hit that target. I have stated before that Sefwi is the cocoa capital of the world. Cocoa is grown more intensively in Sefwi than any part of the world, Ivory Coast included. So I know what I am talking about,� he said. The medical doctor, who is also a renowned a cocoa farmer made these assertions on NEAT FM�s, �Me Man Nti� political talk-show, during a discussion on the state of Ghana�s cocoa industry.