COCOBOB will from next year pay the full school fees of children of cocoa farmers who gain admission into tertiary institutions.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Flag-bearer of the NPP in the 2024 elections, who announced this, said the aim was to further reduce the financial burden of cocoa farmers in sending their children to school.
Addressing a durbar of cocoa farmers, chiefs, religious leaders, and the people of Jacobu to mark this year’s farmers’ day celebrations, he said his government would initiate additional incentives that would help improve the living conditions of farmers in the country.
“Today because of the free SHS policy, everybody’s child is attending senior high school for free.
The government has taken the decision that from next year, children of cocoa farmers, COCOBOD will pay their university fees for free,” he promised to thunderous applause of the farmers.
Dr Bawumia asked the people to have faith in the NPP and vote massively for him and the parliamentary candidates to help implement more socio-economic policies and programmes that would further help to transform the country and improve the living conditions of the people.
He assured the people that his government would introduce new technologies to address the issues of degraded farmlands.
Nana Adu Darko, Chief of Jacobu, expressed concern about the wanton degradation of farmlands through illegal mining activities in the area.
“All our lands have been devastated, the lands have been affected by climate change, which has made farming very difficult.
If you can help to fix the lands, we will be very grateful to the incoming president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia,” he stated.
According to him, all the forest trees had been cut down and that was affecting farming and food production and appealed to the government to consider embarking on a massive afforestation programme to restore forests and farmlands in the area.
GNA