Farmers rally held for cocoa producers at Akyem Abenase

Akyem Abenase (E/R) Oct. 24, GNA - The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board, and the Akyem Oda Cocoa District has held a farmers rally to educate cocoa farmers on how to rid their farms of the disease.    The occasion was also used to educate the farmers on the dangers of the disease and best farming practices to maximize production.      The World Cocoa Foundation/Cocoa Livelihood Project (WCF/CLP) in partnership with CSSVD-CD sponsored the programme.      Mr Samuel Amponsah, Deputy Eastern Regional Manager, CSSVD-CU, told the farmers that the disease, which was first detected by a farmer at Nankese in the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District, like the HIV-AIDS, has no known cure.    He said the only cure for the disease, which could spread from one cocoa farm to another, was to cut down the infected trees.     Mr Amponsah appealed to cocoa farmers to report to the nearest Secretariat when they detect the disease on their farms for the affected trees to be cut down.   “After the trees have been cut down, you will be paid compensation and then supplied with hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge for re-planting, which will start bearing fruits within two to three years”.     Mr Amponsah advised farmers to avoid engaging their children of school going age on cocoa farms at the expense of their education.    He said that buyers of Ghana’s cocoa on the world market would blacklist the country if they detect that children below 18 years were being engaged on worst forms of labour on cocoa farms.    Ms Melody Attah, Regional Extension Officer, urged the farmers to form groups and invite extension officers to educate them on modern farming practices to maximize output.    She told them that the formation of groups had become necessary as a result of low number of extension officers to visit individual farmers.    Ms Attah, who spoke on Cocoa Extension Public, Private, Partnership, said it was supposed to be lean, inclusive, focused, cost effective and result oriented.     “It is a Public Private Partnership oriented Extension which attracted major partners such as World Cocoa Foundation/Cocoa Livelihood Project (WCF/CLP), Cadbury, West African Fair Fruits (WAFF), Armajaro and COCOBOD.    She said the WCF/CLP partnered three Community Extension Agents (CEAs) working in 84 communities at the Akyem Oda District and one at Nkawkaw District.    Ms Attah said 770 farmer groups were registered in the region that were trained in 15 Cocoa Modules such as land selection and preparation, cocoa nursery establishment, agro-chemical usage, farm maintenance operations and production of quality cocoa among others. GNA  ... Read Full Story