He said with the increasing adverse effects of climate change on cocoa trees, it was imperative for stakeholders to step up efforts to extend irrigation to cocoa farms.
The Ambassador, on a three-day field visit to four regions to assess the impact of a Dutch funded project, made the call after visiting an irrigated cocoa farm at Punikrom in the Western North Region.
The seven-acre farm, which used to produce 30 bags before the installation of the irrigation facility is currently producing about 120 bags due to access to water all year round.
The simple but efficient technology installed by the COCOBOD with a repayment plan by the farmer appears to be the game changer that must be replicated in most cocoa farms as a strategy to increase yield.
This, according to the Ambassador, was the way to go not only to improve the income of farmers but also increase the annual cocoa production of the country.
As part of the project, young entrepreneurs have established RSCs with support from Solidaridad as a private sector driven vehicle that provides services such as training and access to inputs and financing to smallholder farmers to increase their productivity and sustainability.
Solidaridad facilitates concessional financing for these entrepreneurs to build service centres to enable them to provide services to cocoa farmers in hard-to-reach communities
Accompanied by officials of Solidaridad, the Ambassador visited various project sites in Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo and Western North Regions to assess the impact of the project in beneficiary communities.
He said with flexible payment terms, the banks could recoup their monies and farmers would no longer suffer from effects of erratic rainfall and other climatic conditions.