Mass cocoa spraying exercise to begin soon

THE Managing Director of Federated Commodities Limited (FEDCO), a cocoa buying company, Nana Amo Adade Boamah has assured cocoa farmers that the government will soon start the mass cocoa spraying exercises as announced in this year's budget statement.

Nana Boamah gave the assurance at Dunkwa-on-Offin, when he addressed farmers’ forum organised by the company to take stock of their farming practices.

He advised the farmers to weed their farms regularly to enable the spraying gangs to do their work effectively. This, he said will enable the country to mainatin its position as the best quality cocoa producer.

The managing director announced that following hard work of the farmers with his company for the past three years, the company has been selected to export cocoa to the international market.

The Dunkwa-On-Offin sector manager of the company, Mr George Dadzie, advised the farmers to pay more attention to their cocoa farms, instead of hunting games and palm wine tapping.

He disclosed that the company is working out plans to give instant bonuses to their farmers and asked them to use Wienco Cocoa Products in treating their farms for better yield.

A farmer, Opanyin O. B. Dankwa of Buabenso, suggested to the government to help farmers by instituting a pension scheme to cater for them in their old age.

Farmers from Asuosu near Wasa Dunkwa, in the Wasa Amenfi District, appealed to the Minister of Lands, Mines and Forestry and the Game and WildLife Department, to come to their aid to save their cocoa farms from being destroyed by elephants.

A spokesman for the farmers, Mr Kinglsey Amankwah, said the elephants have been eating their unmatured and ripe cocoa pods.

He said, they experienced the same incident last year and noted that if nothing is done to save the situation, the farmers will not only face a severe economic hardship, but cocoa production will suffer a set back in the area.