On Bryt FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show hosted by Nana Yaw Obeng, Pius Enam Hadzide, spokesperson for Dr. Bryan Acheampong, highlighted the visionary leadership of the former minister of Food and Agriculture.
He praised Dr. Acheampong’s disciplined and results-driven approach, shaped by his military background, which has brought significant reforms to Ghana’s cocoa sector.
According to Mr. Hadzide, Dr. Acheampong rejected the long-standing reliance on syndicated loans to purchase cocoa, a system dating back to 1947. Traditionally, COCOBOD borrowed funds with interest to pay farmers, while international buyers later reimbursed these loans.
He revealed Dr. Bryan Acheampong argued that it was unsustainable for Ghana to incur debt when buyers were eager for the crop.
Instead, he introduced a new approach requiring cocoa buyers to provide funds upfront, ensuring Ghana could purchase its own cocoa without debt obligations. This shift, Hadzide noted, has already yielded remarkabe results, with COCOBOD now attracting $4 billion directly from buyers—far surpassing the $2 million once considered a major breakthrough under the syndicated loan system.
Mr. Hadzide described this as one of Dr. Acheampong’s “big ideas,” underscoring his belief that only bold and innovative policies can produce tangible results for the country.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Amuzu Priscilla
