The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has cautioned the general public, especially farmer cooperatives, groups and associations, to stop diverting fertilizers supplied to cocoa farmers.
COCOBOD explained that the cocoa fertilizers have been heavily subsidized by government to ensure accessibility and affordability to all farmers to increase farm yields and any attempt to resell them amounts to diversion which is an offence.
“COCOBOD will therefore like to use this medium to warn all persons involved in this illegal act to desist from the practice or risk facing the full rigours of the law, which will include arrest and prosecution,” COCOBOD noted in a statement.
“We also wish to caution cocoa farmers who are conniving with such miscreants in the diversion of the subsidized fertilizers to refrain from it immediately or face the consequences of their actions,” it added.
COCOBOD entreated all security agencies to be on the look-out to combat cases of smuggling and reselling of cocoa fertilizers and other farming inputs.
“We are, by this release, urging all security agencies to be vigilant and intercept suspected cocoa fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs in the possession of persons without the required documentations covering the movement of such items for further investigations.”
“We also wish to encourage the general public to report all suspected cases to the Ghana Police Service for the necessary action,” the statement expressed.