Cocoa Abrabopa Plants 1500 Trees To Support Green Ghana Agenda

By Nana Yaw Reuben Jr. On Jun 18, 2021

CAA

The Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) has planted 1,500 trees to help the government achieve its objective of planting 5 million trees to green Ghana.

Shade trees of all kinds nursed by Form Ghana were distributed to 351 member cocoa farmers of the association as part of Green Ghana Day.

These farmers also received training on planting techniques and maintenance of the seedlings to increase the survival rates of the planted trees.

Since 2009, CAA has been running a shade tree seedling distribution and training program with its members.

Up to date over 242,000 shade trees have been supplied to members of the association for planting on their farms.

On the occasion of Green Ghana Day (11 June 2021), the Association joined other subsidiary companies of the corporate founder Africa Tiger Holding Limited to plant trees in collaborating with Cocoa farmers at Afosu and Ofoase – Ayirebi in the Eastern Region.

The objective of the tree planting exercise was to support the government’s agenda of greening Ghana by planting 5 million trees and also in memory of the late founder of Cocoa Abrabopa Association, Henri Wientjes.

The association believe their support would help “Green Ghana” and preserve the ecosystem to aid the fight against the negative effects of climate change.

Currently, Ghana’s forest cover is estimated at 1.6 million hectares down from 8.2 million hectares in the 1900s.

The Council Chairman of Cocoa Abrabopa Association, Ismail Pomasi, said it’s important to restore the depleted forest cover ravaged by negative human activities such as illegal mining and lumbering.

“We are supporting the government’s agenda; with these economic trees we are planting today”, Pomasi said.

“We planted Mahogany, Emire, Mansonia Albizia and Otie trees. The rationale for this intervention is so that in planting the trees, we are also making an investment for our future children and our gallant cocoa farmers,” he added.

Pomasi also used the occasion to educate the community on the importance of planting trees more importantly in their cocoa farms.

“We also believe that if more efforts are made towards protecting the existing tree populations across the country, it will reinforce government’s idea of planting new trees and growing them”, he noted.

A Council Member Cocoa Abrabopa Association and Regional Representative for Eastern Region, Rebecca Ayisi Asiedu, said it’s only collective efforts that can help us restore our degraded forest and reforest Ghana.

“Swift reforestation is critical. The goal of 5 million trees set by the Government of Ghana is very necessary, so we must all do our part”, she charged.

“There is no dispute that the woman farmer makes a vital contribution to the country’s economy; this is our time to help shape sustainable development in rural areas,” Asiedu said

The Operations Manager Mr Andrew Roland Obosu and the Eastern Regional Manager for Cocoa Abrabopa Association, Ebenezer Agbozo, used the opportunity to thank the farmers for their continued support of policies and programmes that will help restore and conserve forests and water bodies.

“As Managers at Cocoa Abrabopa Association, we are committed to enabling cocoa farmers in marginalised communities to alleviate the effects of climate change. To achieve this, our projects will continue to incorporate sustainable and livelihood enhancing practices,” Agbozo assured.

The Technical Coordinator (Ofoase – Ayirebi Operational Area) Samuel Kofi Sarfo, Child Development Officer of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (Kade, Ofase – Ayirebi Operational Area), Daniel Feda, and some cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region also took part in the Green Ghana exercise.