The Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, Mr. Eric Opoku, has announced that the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, led by John Dramani Mahama, will establish cocoa clinics in all cocoa-growing regional capitals across Ghana.

Mr. Opoku made this promise on Sunday during a campaign event at Norberkow, a cocoa-farming community in Asunafo South, as part of the NDC’s Vice-Presidential Candidate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang's, tour of the Ahafo Region.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the current situation, where the only major Cocoa Clinic is located in Accra, far from the communities where cocoa is cultivated.

“John Dramani Mahama is committed to changing this narrative by building ultra-modern cocoa clinics in all cocoa-growing regional capitals to address the health needs of cocoa farmers and their families,” Mr. Opoku said.

In addition to healthcare, Mr. Opoku revealed that the next NDC government would enrol cocoa farmers and their families in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for free.

He also highlighted plans to offer cocoa farmers a better pension package, criticizing the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for allegedly taking two kilos of farmers' cocoa in the name of implementing a pension scheme.

“John Dramani Mahama is promising to provide cocoa farmers with a fair pension scheme without taking any kilo of cocoa from them, unlike the NPP government,” Mr. Opoku added.

He further emphasized that the next NDC administration would pay a more reasonable farm gate price to cocoa farmers, accusing the current government of underpaying them.

Additionally, he pledged to reintroduce the free fertilizer policy for farmers, which had been discontinued.

Mr. Opoku called on cocoa farmers to support the NDC’s Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, in the upcoming December 7 general elections, to ensure the implementation of these farmer-friendly policies aimed at improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families.