CRIG launches CocoaSoils at Akim Tafo

In an effort to increase cocoa productivity and efficient nutrient use by farmers in cocoa production, a program dubbed CocoaSoils has been launched at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Akim Tafo in the Abuakwa North Municipality in the Eastern Region. 

The program which is a public-private partnership between the cocoa industry and the community, is to address major gaps in the knowledge based required to close cocoa yield gaps and deliver this knowledge to cocoa farmers in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, among other countries, is funded by the Norwegian government.

The program launch which was on the theme “sustainable intensification of cocoa production through the development and dissemination of integrated soil fertility management”, is targeted at national research and extension agents to get necessary skills and state-of-the-art knowledge and tools, smallholder cocoa farmer who will benefit through enhanced cocoa productivity, better income, and improved livelihood, policy makers to be empowered to support the smallholder cocoa sector while protecting the environment and the society at large to reap the rewards of avoided deforestation. 

The time frame for the project is 20 years with the beginning of four years aimed at managing medium and long-term nutrients response trails, following agreed protocols and resource commitment. 

The Coordinator for Cocoa Research for Development at International Institution of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and also the Coordinator for CocoaSoils in West Africa, Dr. Richard Asare, said the project is the leading public-private partnership convening renowned research institutions both local and international working with a network of companies in different countries on sustainable cocoa productivity. 

He noted that the project also focuses on stepwise soil nutrition and responsible intensification of cocoa production as its core mandate and combines state of the art scientific research with the latest and accessible extension delivery innovations. 

According to Dr. Asare, deepening the understanding of nutrient requirements of the cocoa tree can help avoid deforestation. 

The Deputy Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Adu-Ampomah, whose speech was read by the Chairman for the occasion, Dr. Ofori Frimpong, said COCOBOD has, over the years, invested heavily into the purchase and distribution of approved fertilizer types aimed at ensuring sustainable growth of cocoa and the development of appropriate soil types as part of a national effort to ensure annual growth in the production of cocoa in Ghana. He said government cannot do it alone and was grateful for the public-private sector partnership aimed at improving soil fertility using an integrated soil fertility management approach.  

Dr. Adu-Ampomah noted that COCOBOD is committed to all programmes geared towards the success of the national efforts to improve on cocoa production in Ghana. According to him, working together with CocoaSoils team will ensure the full activation of appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning tools and processes available to ensure a successful implementation of the project.


GBCONLINE
---DECRYPTED---