Cocoa farmers trained to fight bushfires

One hundred and fifty cocoa farmers from 54 registered co-operative societies in the Suhum Municipal and Ayensuano Districts of the Eastern Region have undergone a two-day training workshop in fighting bushfires.

The training was organised by the Suhum Municipal Carboy Cocoa Partnership Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited.

The participants were taken through series of fire prevention tactics to enable them prevent bushfires and also protect their farms and other properties against fires.

The Municipal Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Mr Eric Owusu Bruch urged the farmers to protect their farms from fires.

He said some fire outbreaks are caused by the negligence of some farmers who fail to put out fires they had lit for various reasons.

He advised the farmers create fire belts around their farms to protect them against bushfires.

Mr George Tuah Adusei, Municipal Manager of the Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union limited said, more than 25 cocoa farms were burnt last year in the municipality as well as Ayensuano District.

He said the fires could have been controlled if the farmers had been train in fire fighting techniques.

The President of the Carboy Cocoa Partnership Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union limited, Mr Kwame Ansah Ofori commended the organisers of the workshop, adding that the time has come for the farmers to be abreast of the knowledge of fire and how to fight its outbreak.