The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is phasing out mechanical scales in favour of electronic scales for use in weighing cocoa beans at the points of sale operated by the Licences Buying Companies (LBCs).
The move has been necessitated by the result of a recent inspection conducted by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) at various points of sale, where they found widespread tampering of the mechanical scales presently used at such places.
The GSA’s inspection results indicated that, on the average the tampering caused the scale to measure about 7 kilogrammes less than the actual weight of the produce.
This was revealed by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo at a cocoa farmers’ rally held in Tiawia Subriso in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region on Thursday 30th August 2019.
He said COCOBOD is appalled by what the inspection exercise found. Such tampering robs the farmers of their hard earn incomes and contributes to their low standards of living.
To bring the tampering to an end COCOBOD has informed the LBCs of its plan to import electronic scales for the LBCs to use at their points of sale across the county.
The electronics scales will gradually replace the electronic ones and become the standard equipment for weighing cocoa beans; without which an LBS risks losing its licence.
“COCOBOD has met with all the LBCs to discuss this problem. We have informed them that we will be importing electronic scales on their behalf. They will acquire the scales from us and bring them to their points of sale to use in weighing the cocoa beans.”
The farmers’ rally was attended by the chiefs and people of Tiawia Subriso and surrounding areas. It was held to host a delegation from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) led by its Chief Executive, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo. He is on a three-day working tour of some cocoa communities in the Eastern Region.
Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo and other top management executives of COCOBOD have been visiting farming communities to assess their level of participation in the various farm Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEP) by COCOBOD.
The tour is also to gathering first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing farmers at different parts of the cocoa-producing areas.
