The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has introduced a digital tracking system to monitor the distribution of free fertiliser and other farm inputs from warehouses to cocoa farmers, to curb smuggling, diversion, and abuse of the programme.
The system will digitally record every consignment at each stage of distribution, linking each bag of fertiliser issued to the identity of the farmer who receives it.
The Chief Executive Officer, Dr Randy Abbey, explained that the technology would help officials at the district, regional and national levels to monitor the movement of inputs in real time and identify discrepancies for investigation.
Addressing a gathering during the relaunch of the Free Fertiliser Distribution Programme in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region, he revealed the initiative was designed to ensure that farm inputs reached their intended beneficiaries rather than being diverted to the open market or smuggled across borders.
“Every bag issued is tagged against the name of the farmer who received it. At any moment, we can reconcile what was dispatched against what was received and what was issued. A bag that goes missing now leaves a trail,” he said.
Dr Abbey warned that individuals involved in diverting, hoarding, reselling or smuggling fertiliser and other inputs meant for cocoa farmers would face legal action.
“Let me send a clear and unequivocal warning to smugglers and saboteurs. The days of diverting inputs meant for our farmers are over. Any officer, buyer, or individual found diverting, hoarding, reselling, or smuggling these inputs will be dealt with according to the law,” he said.
Under the new arrangement, only registered farmers whose farms have been mapped and captured on COCOBOD’s digital Cocoa Management System (CMS) will qualify for the free inputs.
Under the new arrangement, farmers will verify their identities at distribution points using their farmer identification cards, Ghana Cards or biometric information to prevent impersonation and the registration of fictitious beneficiaries.
Dr Abbey also said the system would automatically determine each farmer’s entitlement based on the size and condition of their farms, removing discretion of distribution officers to alter the quantities allocated.
He said the digital controls were expected to address longstanding concerns about favouritism and the diversion of subsidised agricultural inputs, ensuring that eligible farmers received their allocations without relying on personal connections or making unofficial payments.
The COCOBOD Chief Executive urged farmers whose farms had not been captured on the CMS to contact their extension officers for registration and mapping to enable them to benefit from the programme.
He also directed extension officers to ensure that all farmers and farms in their respective districts were registered and mapped.
The relaunch of the programme is a transition from a 50 per cent fertiliser subsidy to free fertiliser. Dr Abbey disclosed that the policy shift aims to remove financial barriers to farm inputs and boost productivity in the cocoa sector.
Meanwhile, the Board Chairman of COCOBOD, Dr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring cocoa farmers benefit from interventions aimed at improving productivity and their incomes.
The programme was relaunched under the theme, “Cocoa Sector Reset: Free Fertiliser for Increased Productivity and Improved Farmer Income.”
