Government orders destruction of disease infested cocoa trees

The Government has ordered for the destruction of disease infested and unproductive cocoa trees across the country and ensure that new seedlings are replanted to boost future production.

The exercise which will be spearheaded by COCOBOD is expected to kick-start this year.

The Executive Director, Health & Extension Division, COCOBOD, who announced this at the grand launch of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Kuapa Kokoo at Tepa in the Ashanti Region, Thursday, said the purchasing of equipment to cut down all the disease infested cocoa trees is currently going procurement process and once approved, they will hit the ground running.

Mr. Opoku, however, revealed that owners of the affected cocoa farms shall be compensated.

The compensation, he noted, will continue from the day the disease infected cocoa trees are destroyed to the day the replanted trees will start bearing fruits and sold.

Part of the compensation money, he explained, will be used to pay the cocoa farmer while some will also be used to pay the family or landlord who leased out the land to the cocoa farmer.

“We are pleading with all cocoa farmers to allow us to cut down the disease infested cocoa trees when we come to them. Once it is done, you will be able to reap the benefits for over 25 years. Even if you are no more, your children and family members will also benefit from it”, he noted.

However, Mr. Opoku told the gathering that any amount that will be spent on the cocoa farmers as compensation shall be recovered when the replanted cocoa trees starts bearing fruits and sold.