Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, the Member of Parliament for the Ho West Constituency, has launched the first phase of an initiative aimed at reviving cocoa production in the constituency through the distribution of 20,000 cocoa seedlings to farmers.
The intervention seeks to restore cocoa farming activities in the area following devastating fire outbreaks that destroyed vast cocoa plantations and significantly reduced production levels in recent years.
Mr Bedzrah said Ho West was once the leading cocoa-producing area in the Volta Region but lost that position after the widespread destruction of cocoa farms by bushfires.
He announced that the cocoa seedlings had been secured through the support of Afarinick Company Limited as part of efforts to rebuild the constituency’s agricultural base and improve the livelihoods of farmers.
According to the Member of Parliament, the distribution of the seedlings has commenced across the constituency, with interested farmers encouraged to contact their respective Assembly Members for registration and collection.
Mr Bedzrah expressed optimism that the initiative would encourage more farmers to return to cocoa cultivation and contribute to increased agricultural productivity and economic growth within the constituency.
He commended Dr Justice Avedzi, the Director General of Exchange Securities, for his instrumental role in securing the seedlings and supporting efforts to rejuvenate the cocoa sector in the area.
“We are rebuilding our agricultural heritage. By the grace of God, Ho West will once again be known as the largest and best cocoa-producing area in the Volta Region,” Mr Bedzrah stated.
He said the project formed part of a broader strategy to promote sustainable agriculture, create employment opportunities and improve incomes for farming households across the constituency.
Farmers and community leaders who welcomed the initiative expressed hope that the programme would help restore abandoned farms, attract younger people into agriculture and strengthen the local economy.
They noted that cocoa production had historically played a significant role in the socio-economic development of many communities in Ho West and described the intervention as a timely step towards reviving the sector.
The first phase is expected to benefit hundreds of farmers, with stakeholders expressing confidence that the programme would contribute significantly to restoring Ho West’s reputation as a major cocoa-producing area in the Volta Region.
By Frank Kwame Abbor, GNA