Farmers asked to regularly maintain farms
The Deputy Eastern Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr Osei Danso, has called on farmers to regularly maintain their cocoa farms to ensure maximum yield to increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Advertisement
He urged them to adopt effective cultural practices on their farms, which include regular clearing of weeds, removal of mistletoes, fertiliser application and spraying of farms against pests.
He also implored the farmers to cut down diseased cocoa trees and those which were 30 years old and above and replant the farms with free cocoa seedlings from COCOBOD.
Mr Danso made the call when he addressed a farmers educational rally at Akyem Apoli in the Birim South District.
He stressed that the government would continue to encourage cocoa farmers to increase production through the payment of bonuses, the free supply of fertiliser and the free spraying of cocoa farms.
Mr Danso said the government would double the free supply of fertiliser and insecticides for spraying cocoa farms with the aim of increasing production.
DCE
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Birim South, Mr Emmanuel Kwakye, said the government was reconstructing feeder roads in cocoa-growing areas to alleviate the plight of farmers.
He said in order to benefit from the intervention, the farmers should sell their cocoa beans exclusively in the district but not to divert them to the other districts.
Mr Kwakye seized the opportunity to advise the youth to desist from violence of all forms before, during and after the November 7, 2016 general election.
Chief farmer
The Akyem Achiase District Chief Farmer, Mr S K K Kwakye, advised purchasing clerks to refrain from duping cocoa farmers since they would be severely sanctioned when caught.
The District Director of Agriculture, Mr Emmanuel Kwaittoo, asked farmers to see farming as a serious business and not as part time work.
He urged them to observe good agricultural practices and also keep records of their farming activities.
