The Chief Executive officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aiddo on last week yesterday, April 16,2022 paid a day field inspection tour to the Boadi Cocoa District to familiarize himself for the progress of work of the rehabilitated Cocoa farms which were affected by the cocoa swollen shoot viral disease (CSSVD).
Addressing a durbar organized in his honor at Tawiakrom in the Bodi cocoa District, Mr. Joseph Aiddo advised the farmers to desist from using of chemicals or weedicides on their cocoa farms because the ”24D” which is a chemical in the weedicides is dangerous to the soil, and it kills almost all the nutrients in it, which set as food for the soil, and that can affect the smooth growth of the cocoa plants and it is also affecting the cocoa rehabilitation program by the Government.
Mr. Boahen Aiddo cautioned the cocoa farmers to do away with burning their cleared lands before planting, hence it also kills the nutrients in the soil.
The Ghana Cocoa Board Boss further retreated his outfit readiness to provide all the necessary materials and tools needed by farmers who are willing to cut down their cocoa farms affected by the swollen shoot viral disease, be it labour, tool, plantain seedlings or cocoa seedlings.
”Nananuom, government led by Nana Addo Dankwah Akoffo Addo had secured a loan meant for the cocoa rehabilitation program, we are ready to provide all the necessary cocoa farming materials and input to all the farmers who are ready for their cocoa farms affected by the cocoa swollen shoot viral disease to be cut, as we all know we have already putting in place the weeding gangs who are working on your farms for two years, before handing over your farm to you,” he said.
In his response, the chief of Tawiakrom Nana Kojo Adjei, thanked the Chief Executive officer for his visit and promised his readiness to also involved in the campaign and education of the cocoa rehabilitation program especially to those in his area.
‘We the chiefs and elders of Tawiakrom will from today join the campaign and education for the cocoa rehabilitation program, because we all know cocoa is Ghana and Ghana is cocoa and we need to revive the dying of the cocoa farms especially in this area known as the area of cocoa some years ago,” he promised.
By//Alex Gyawu Asante.
Source// Obohnews.
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