COCOA FARMERS DEMAND BONUS FROM WIENCO (BACK PAGE)

Cocoa farmers in the Sefwi Kaase Cocoa District in the Western Region have expressed grave concern about the refusal of Wienco Company Limited, a licensed buying company (LBC), to pay them their 2006/07 bonus, totalling GH¢30,667.14, for the main crop season.
The amount is in respect of 8,967 bags of cocoa purchased by purchasing clerks from farmers of 16 societies in the area.
The farmers pointed out that despite persistent appeals to Nana Agyeman, the Managing Director of the company, there had not been any response from the company.
Representatives of the farmers, led by the District Chief Farmer from Esem-Debiso in Bia District, Nana Allen Emmanuel Nkuah, who called at the Daily Graphic office in Sunyani to express the sentiment, also indicated that the farmers had made a report to the management of the COCOBOD but again no action had been taken. The chief farmer stressed that on several occasions that he and other farmers met Nana Agyeman, he had made promises to settle his company’s indebtedness to them but he had reneged on those assurances and rather travelled to the United States without any regard for the plight of the farmers.
Nana Nkuah alleged that a finger-printed list of the farmers who belong to the 16 societies in the area had already been prepared by the various purchasing clerks in the area and submitted to the company as had always been the case but no favourable response had come out of it.
“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid to ensure that Wienco Company Limited pays whatever bonus is due the farmers since the farmers are suffering,” the chief farmer pleaded.
The farmers also called on the management of the COCOBOD to ensure that anytime they released money in respect of bonuses and other cheques meant for payment to farmers, they should make follow-ups to verify if payment had been made.