We Play A Very Important Role In Ghana’s Cocoa Marketing Business But We Have Been Ignored ~ NAGCMC.

The President of the National Association of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Clerks (NAGCMC), Mr Andam Solomon has said, Cocoa Purchasing clerks and marketing officers play a very crucial role in cocoa marketability since they serve as agents between Licensed Buying Companies, government and cocoa farmers but government and COCOBOD ignores them in policies that intend to help the cocoa marketing business.

However, they face challenges such as inadequate logistics, weighing scales, low quality of cocoa beans and poor storage facilities which affect their operations. 

According to him, they don’t receive monthly salary they only rely on yearly commission base payment from their mother companies. This force some of the clerks to adjust the weighing scale to cheat farmer which is a bad practice he condemns. Therefore they have come together as one body with a common goal to make sure they fight the ill characters among them. Mr Andam made this statement during the launching of the Association at Bogoso in the western region.

Meanwhile; the financial secretary of the Association, Mr Dadzie John advised the cocoa farmers to remove foreign matter and fragments such as stones, pods etc in the cocoa after drying them before sending it to shed for weighing, he said the purchasing clerks discover those foreign materials after paying the farmers which contributes to their loses. 

 The Executive Members of the Association in an interview with Oscar Adawu Dadzie – Peace FM’s reporter called for the introduction of cashless payment systems for business transactions as their lives are in constant danger of being attacked by armed robbers in the course of their work. Others also said the government should consider insurance and SSNIT for them, as it is planning for farmers.

Story By: Oscar Adawu Dadzi (Peace FM – Accra)