Cocoa farmers in the Wassa-Akropong area of the Western Region say they will co-operate fully with the Cocoa Swollen Shoots Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit to eradicate the disease which is having a toll on their farms.
They said their yields had dwindled as a result of the disease so it was important for them to team up with the unit to prevent further destruction.
The assurance was given when officers from the unit (formerly known as Cocoa Services Division), paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the area, Kasapreko Kwame Bassanyin III, at his palace to introduce the newly posted officers to the area to him.
Mr Francis Antwi-Adjei, the acting Manager for the Western-South sector of the region, said cocoa trees, like any other fruit-bearing tree could be attacked by disease as they grew, adding that without proper maintenance and care the virus could spread and farms in that particular area could be destroyed.
He urged the farmers to impress on their caretakers to welcome the officers who would undertake the exercise and co-operate with them to eradicate the virus from the district,
He said once the virus had been discovered the only option was to destroy the trees to stop it from spreading to neighbouring farms.
“Since it is a virus, it can spread and within five years all cocoa trees in the area will be attacked,” he said.
Mr Antwi-Adjei stated that the government had an incentive package for farmers to replant and maintain their farms till their plants started bearing fruits.
He indicated that it had been the intention of the government to put money in the pockets of farmers hence the introduction of the mass cocoa spraying exercise.
He explained that it was not advisable to plant raw seedlings in between the affected areas since the virus would affect the healthy trees.
Mr Manu Adabor, Cartographic Manager of CSSVD, said the farms would be surveyed with a new Global Position System (GPS) and divided into sectors and blocks to ensure that all the affected trees were removed.
He assured the farmers that the survey would also help them to know the amount of chemicals to be applied for a block or sector.
The Executive Director of CSSVD, Mr F.E. Nsiah, commended the chiefs for their preparedness to make the programme a success.
He said the work was quite cumbersome but his men would prove equal to the task.
The chiefs complained about the delay in the payment, and sometimes non-payment of compensation to farmers.
Also, they wanted all the produce from the area to be sold to cocoa merchants there instead of selling them in different regions.
They maintained that since such practices existed, they were usually under-supplied with inputs to maintain their farms and cited the mass spraying as an example.
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