KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Problems faced by cocoa producers in Ghana
• Diseases such as the swollen shoot and black Pod attack and destroy the crops thus lowering the quality of the crop.
• Pests such as Capsid which attack leaves in the dry season
• The price offered to cocoa producers by cocoa buyers is low such that they fail to meet the production costs
• Over production and fluctuation of prices on the World market hence, heavy losses to the farmers.
• Lack of capital and equipment necessary for effective production since most of the farmers are poor.
• Bush fires during the dry weather. This fire spreads so fast that it can destroy many plantations in a short time.
• Poor transport facilities, the roads are poor and the heavy rainfall makes them impassable and this creates difficulties in taking cocoa to market.
• Monoculture which results into soil exhaustion, erosion leading to decline in quality and easy spreading of pests and diseases.
• Competition with other producers from Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Gabon which leads to loss of market.
• Shortage of able-bodied labour since youngsters drift to Urban centres. They prefer better paying jobs in towns.
• Cocoa takes nearly five years to mature and within this period, farmers receive no income. Other crops are preferred instead.
• Pests such as Capsid which attack leaves in the dry season
• The price offered to cocoa producers by cocoa buyers is low such that they fail to meet the production costs
• Over production and fluctuation of prices on the World market hence, heavy losses to the farmers.
• Lack of capital and equipment necessary for effective production since most of the farmers are poor.
• Bush fires during the dry weather. This fire spreads so fast that it can destroy many plantations in a short time.
• Poor transport facilities, the roads are poor and the heavy rainfall makes them impassable and this creates difficulties in taking cocoa to market.
• Monoculture which results into soil exhaustion, erosion leading to decline in quality and easy spreading of pests and diseases.
• Competition with other producers from Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Gabon which leads to loss of market.
• Shortage of able-bodied labour since youngsters drift to Urban centres. They prefer better paying jobs in towns.
• Cocoa takes nearly five years to mature and within this period, farmers receive no income. Other crops are preferred instead.