Use only recommended pesticides on cocoa farms

Ajumako Anyinasu (C/R) July 28, GNA - The Central Regional Cocoa Chie= f Farmer, Nana Kwesi Ofori, has advised cocoa farmers to strictly use the recommended pesticides on their farms to reap high quality cocoa beans. He said this would make the country maintain its position as the leadin= g producer of quality cocoa on the world market.

Nana Ofori made the call at an educational programme on Increasing Cocoa Production for Cocoa Farmers at Ajumako Anyinasu on Tuesday. He appealed to them to avoid the use of pesticides which have residual effects and are dangerous for human consumption or injurious to the cocoa tree.

The programme dubbed: 93Cocoa Ghana, Ghana Cocoa; Farmers' Contributio= ns to Maintain its Quality Standard," was organised jointly by the Office of th= e Central Regional Cocoa Chief Farmer and the Quality Control Company. He said the Cocoa Disease and Pest Control (CODAPEC) programme popularly known as the 91Mass Spraying' was introduced to assist cocoa farmers to combat the Capsid and the Black pod diseases.

Nana Ofori said the mass spraying exercise enabled the cocoa trees to yield more to produce good quality cocoa beans and this must be enjoyed by every cocoa farmer.

The Chief Farmer advised farmers in the area to form a task force which would distribute pesticides to the farmers directly.

He said the spraying gangs would then go to the farmers at their farms to collect the pesticides to spray their farmers, adding that any farmer, whose farm was sprayed, would then have to sign or thumbprint a paper. The Chief Farmer urged his compatriots to report to the district or society chief farmers the misconduct of any spraying gang member for the necessary action to be taken.

Nana Karikari Addo, Central Regional Quality Control Manager, said Cocoa harvest in Central Region increased from 46,954 tonnes in 2009/10 to 67,244 tonnes from 2010 October to May ending this year.

He said with the dramatic increase he hoped they would continue to follow the advice and teachings given them by the Cocoa Extension Officers to improve upon their performances and increase productivity. Nana Addo appealed to the farmers to space and line-up their farms to ensure free movement of air, adding that this would make the cocoa tree yield higher.

Nana Essiam III, chief of Anyinasu, who chaired the programme, appealed to the government to rehabilitate the Bisease-Anyinasu Road to facilitate easy movement of foodstuffs and people.

The chief expressed regret that the road constructed more than 10 years ago had deteriorated, resulting in drivers plying the area charging exorbitant fares.