[ 2011-04-24 ]

Witches not to blame for cocoa disease - District COCOBOD Manager
Cocoa farmers have been urged not to attribute the
destruction of their cocoa trees by Cocoa Swollen
Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) to the work of
witches.

Mr Adamu Alimiyao- Baba, Boadua District Manager
of the CSSVD Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board
(COCOBOD), said the SSVD was rampant in that area
and the only way to protect affected farms was to
cut down the diseased trees.

Mr Alimiyao- Baba was addressing a farmers rally
at Quashie in

the West Akyem Municipality on Friday to educate
them on the

devastating nature of the disease and modern
farming practices to

maximize cocoa yield.

He said affected farmers would be compensated.

Mr Alimiyao-Baba said COCOBOB had targeted the
production of one million tons of cocoa this year
and advised the farmers to heed to good
agricultural practices for the set goal to be
realised.

He advised the farmers to form co-operatives to
enable them to

benefit from more incentives from the Government.

The District Manager also challenged them to
ensure that they

fermented their cocoa beans properly to enable the
country to maintain its reputation as the producer
of quality cocoa.

Mr Kwame Pius Senyo, Kade District Manager of the
COCOBOD, noted that even though about 65 per cent
of the Ghanaian population were farmers, the
nation still fell short of food security due to
poor farming practices and advised farmers to
avail themselves of modern agricultural
practices.

He cautioned them to guard against the use of
child labour on

their farms to spare the country of being
black-listed by foreign

buyers of cocoa.

Mr Senyo announced to the farmers amidst applause
that government had decided that insecticides for
spraying of cocoa farms would now be given to them
personally.

He said spraying of cocoa farms was free of charge
and urged them

to report any spraying gang who may demand monies
from them before offering them their services.

Source - GNA

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