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THE GOVERNMENT has indicated its intention to increase the producer price of cocoa commodity soon to encourage cocoa farmers and discourage smuggling of cocoa across the borders. This was made known by the Board Chairman of COCOBOD,Ambassador Daniel Ohene Agyekum during Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana(CRIG) Best worker Award ceremony at Tafo under the theme:"Enhancing Productivity through Staff Motivation." According to him,the Finance Ministry has indicated to COCOBOD that government is critically monitoring cocoa price at the world market to adjust the producer price duly for the cocoa farmers anytime soon. The minority in parliament about two months ago held a press conference and urged the government to increase the producer price of cocoa because the current unattractive price incentive was encouraging mass smuggling of the produce. The minority called for an immediate increase of 50.4 percent in producer price to cushion farmers against declining farm incomes. The minority argued that the current world market prices and exchange rates had impacted negatively on cocoa producer prices and suggested that the government increased the price it paid to producers from the current GH�212.00 per 64 kilograms bag to GH�319.00 per bag. The government last October decided not to increase the price paid to cocoa farmers in the current 2013/2014 crop season owing to the decline in the prices of the commodity on the international market,a situation cocoa farmers are unhappy with. Ambassador Ohene Agyekum further stated that government will this year pay bonuses to cocoa farmers to reward them for their hard work and immense contribution to the economy. He explained that efforts such as replacing over-aged cocoa trees with new high yielding drought resistant cocoa varieties are moves by government to the cocoa industry to meeting its target of one million tones per year. However,Mr.Agyekum expressed worry about the spate of environmental degradation by illegal miners which according to him is already having effects on cocoa production; therefore, the government must be supported in the fight against galamsey to help save the environment and the cocoa industry. He said Ghana's cocoa is still being patronized at the world market due to its quality, hence, urged farmers to calm down nerves over recent concocted story by a Professor in the media that Ghana's cocoa is being rejected at world market. He said the story is untrue and dared the Professor to" show evidence else shut up." He commended the award winners for their hardwork and called on the staff to also make significant contribution for the success story of CRIG. The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mavis Ama Frimpong said the President John Mahama led administration will continue to support the cocoa industry through Ghana COCOBOD ,especially, in the ongoing interventions of Hi-Tech and the Cocoa Disease and Pests Control Programme( CODAPEC) which implementation yielded one million metric tones of cocoa production in the 2010/2011 cocoa season. She urged the youth to develop interest in agriculture by taking advantage of the CODAPEC program which has very attractive packages for the youth who want to engage in Cocoa Farming. The Executive Director of CRIG Dr. Frankline Manu Amoah explained that the award scheme aims at rewarding and motivating hardworking members to inspire continuous hard work and to entice a lot more to do same to help meet the statutory mission of the institution of providing sustainable farmer centered technologies to improve the cultivation of cocoa, coffee and cashew in Ghana. He said CRIG will continue to strive through all challenges facedto excel in contributing to the sustainability of the cocoa industry and to improve on other mandated crops. In a speech read on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD,Dr.Stephen Opuni reiteratedthe commitment by COCOBOD to institute measures to motivate players in the sector to ensure higher productivity. Divisional and Executive Directors awards were presented to deserving winners while the Overall Best worker award was won by Mawuli Nkeggbeh,a labourer with the institution. Mr. Devine Addo,a laboratory technician and Richard Hussey, chief security were adjudged first and second runner up respectively.