President promises to step up cocoa production

The President, John Dramani Mahama, has given the assurance that government will strengthen the mass cocoa spraying exercise to help increase crop yields. Government is also expected to work to eliminate the fraudulence that had over the years bedeviled the exercise in the cocoa farming areas.

President Mahama said this when he addressed a durbar at Adabokrom in the Bia East District of the Western Region as part of his three-day official visit to the region.

The president during his tour of the region, will also inspect the Enchi- Asankragua road, address chiefs at Enchi, inspect the Agona-Nkwanta-Elubo road and interact with students of the University of Mines and Technology.

He is scheduled to also inspect the expansion works at the Sekondi Sea Defence wall and crown his visit with a church service at the Effiakuma Assemblies of God Church.

President Mahama said cocoa production was high on the development radar of government and his administration would adopt measures that would help to achieve them.

He promised the people of Adabokrom that their community would be a beneficiary of one of the new community day senior high schools to be constructed in selected communities throughout the country.

On matters of health, President Mahama promised to construct a number of district hospitals, Polyclinics and community based Health Planning Service (CHPS) compounds in other communities throughout the country.

The president said governments planned to construct about 1,000 more of the CHPS compounds before the end of 2016 and called on the people to support the various district assemblies to achieve all these goals.

He also gave the assurance that in subsequent times, government would construct a district hospital.

Nana Kofi Agyeman, Benkumhene of Adabokrom, appealed to government to provide them with potable water and good roads to enable them to cart their farm produce to marketing centres.

He also called on government to intensify the cocoa spraying exercise to enable farmers to enjoy the fruit of their labour.