Joseph Boahen Aidoo, CEO of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has highlighted his greatest achievement as saving two-thirds of Ghana’s cocoa productive areas affected by swollen shoot disease when he took office in 2017.
In an interview with Joy FM, Aidoo revealed that 17% of the country’s productive areas, mainly in Sefwi-Wiaso, Western North region, were affected by the virus, which has no chemical cure. The disease had affected over 200,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Sefwi, posing a significant threat to the cocoa industry, with no Ghanaian farmer able to remedy their affected farms.
Aidoo emphasized the dire impact of the disease on cocoa production before his tenure, stressing that Ghana’s entire cocoa sector could have been disseminated. He noted that the rehabilitation exercise spearheaded by COCOBOD saved the country’s cocoa sector, with significant results achieved so far.
Aidoo expressed satisfaction with the cocoa rehabilitation exercise, stating that it gave hope to Ghanaian cocoa farmers and showed the world that a solution to the problem existed. He revealed that COCOBOD intervened with seed support, as no farmer in Ghana could remedy their affected farms alone.
Aidoo faced significant financial challenges when he assumed office in January 2017, but his efforts have paid off, saving the cocoa industry from the brink of collapse. The cocoa rehabilitation exercise has been a game-changer for Ghana’s cocoa sector, ensuring the country’s position as a leading cocoa producer is maintained.
Aidoo’s leadership and intervention have been instrumental in saving Ghana’s cocoa sector, with his achievements being recognized as a significant milestone in the industry.
