Written September 2008
Country: Ghana
“I’m very proud of my business,” says cocoa farmer Hannah Ebbah, chairperson and the only female in the Bo Woho Modin group (“Force Yourself” in the local Ghanaian language).
Ebbah has grown cocoa since 1980. She started with 0.81 hectares (ha) of land and now owns 3.2 ha. Ebbah became a member of the Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) two years ago after hearing a radio advertisement.
“Cocoa Abrabopa has been very good for my crop,” Ebbah explains. “I used to harvest six to seven bags of cocoa per acre [927 to 1,081 kg/ha]. Now I’m getting as many as 18 bags (2,780 kg/ha).” Ebbah attributes this increase to both the agro-input package and her Abrabopa training.
Ebbah previously bought fertilizers and pesticides in the market but was never taught how to properly use them. Now she knows how and when to apply, and how to safely store the products. She has also learned how to prune cocoa trees.
Ebbah can now afford to pay school fees and set up an education fund for her two children; she has also bought an insurance policy.
“I’ve learned to treat cocoa farming as a business,” Ebbah says. “Before Abrabopa, I couldn’t support my children but now I’m saving for their future.”