Eliho Ghana Ltd, a new Licensed Buying Company and partner of Touton SA has declared an amount of Gh¢2,160,000 as 2019/2020 loyalty bonus for distribution to its outstanding farmers in the country.
Eliho Ghana, in collaboration with Touton SA, operates a comprehensive model through Rural Service Centres (RSCs) to render seven main services that comprise certification, access to inputs; cocoa rehabilitation; access to finance; productivity intensification support; food and security community development and forest protection services.
Disclosing the news to the Management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in Accra, the Country Manager for Touton Ghana, Mr Ernest Dwamena said the gesture was in recognition of the contributions of cocoa farmers towards the sustainability of the industry.
Mr Dwamena used the opportunity to further pledge that an additional top-up of GH¢3,182,811 would be made available to some 33,748 farmers to strengthen their farming activities and provide scholarships for their wards.
He hinted that over the past years, the efforts of COCOBOD in ensuring a sustainable environment for the cocoa sector have been complimented by Touton SA through various productivity programmes geared at improving the livelihoods of farmers.
According to him, through this drive, an investment of GH¢13,439,000 into productivity and community development projects has yielded the expected outcome of increased productivity that translates to improved incomes and livelihoods of beneficiary cocoa farmers.
The Managing Director of the Cocoa Marketing Company, Mr Vincent Okyere Akomeah on behalf of the Board, commended Touton SA for its efforts at implementing several innovative solutions that generate value along the cocoa supply chain.
Mr Akomeah praised cocoa farmers for their commitment to ensuring a sustainable cocoa value chain in the country and called on them to adopt best practices that preserve the environment.
He entreated the Management of Eliho Ghana Ltd and Touton SA to intensify campaign and education efforts against the use of child labour on cocoa farms since the elimination of the worst forms of child labour is a shared responsibility in the cocoa value chain.
He added that zero tolerance for child labour is a requirement for world cocoa certification.
Currently, Eliho Ghana Ltd is operational in the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Central, Western North and South Regions of Ghana.