The workshop, which was under the theme "Sensitising the education of cocoa farmers to help improve the economy", was aimed at helping the farmers to change the old ways of farming, which does not yield enough to the detriment of the economy. Cocoa farmers go to school. Mr Bubuama said cocoa is a socio-economic asset of Ghana and therefore, more resources must be channelled into the cocoa industry to enable the country to increase its exports. He said they should embrace modern...

Although some farmers use their own children to help raise cocoa, many other farmers use children that they hire for very low pay, or who work as slaves in the field. However, Ghana has been delayed in monitoring up to 50 percent of its cocoa farms to certify that cocoa is not produced by unfair child labor practices. And the Ivory Coast, which is torn by war, is also having problems trying to monitor cocoa farms, which are often only one to four acres. And despite recent efforts to stop...

Nectarines form part of Fresno County's harvest of fresh produce featured on the fruit trail. If you crave locally grown produce -- or want to give visiting guests a glimpse of Fresno County's broad agricultural shoulders -- you'll want to hit the road this summer for a look at this prime growing area. Simonian Farms, at Clovis and Jensen avenues, offers more than 120 homegrown fruits and vegetables, in addition to dried fruit, nuts and gourmet products -- all sold in a setting surrounded...

But many children on cocoa farms don't get to school, some exchange their childhood for work, a roof over their head and a meal a day. Eight years since reports of child labour and slavery in Ivory Coast - the world's largest cocoa producer - first emerged, progress in eradicating child labour has been slow. In the time that has passed, war, cultural differences and the importance of cocoa revenues to West African economies have all served to obscure the debate. Now chocolate firms are...

But even if prices are rising, most farmers in Ivory Coast are unable to cash in on the bull market. Adjust font size: NEW YORK (Reuters) -- An unusually harsh harmattan -- a seasonal cold, dry wind that carries clouds of dust from the Sahara -- was the first sign of trouble for West African cocoa farmers. Stiff competition between buyers for scarce beans as the October-March main crop limped to a close pushed farm gate prices in some areas over 500 CFA francs ($1. Cocoa prices have risen...