THE Quality Control Division (QCD) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has started a series of educational programmes for cocoa farmers throughout the Nkrankwanta Cocoa District in the Dormaa Municipality.
The aim is to introduce new farming methods to the farmers and also to ensure that they spray their farms at the right time to increase production.
Addressing one of such rallies at Kwame Yeboakrom near Nkrankwanta, the Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of QCD, Mr Peter Kwaw Sekyim, asked cocoa farmers to strictly follow the practices imparted to them to increase crops yield.
He mentioned some of the practices as weeding their farms regularly, spraying against black-pod disease, capside and other insects as well as removing mestletoes, basal chupons, harvesting ripe pods regularly and a six-day fermentation and drying.
Mr Sekyim advised them to ensure that they sold good quality cocoa beans at all times to ensure that they earned more money to be able to increase their income, saying “it will be wasteful to produce more purple beans and receive less payment.”
Mr Adu Parkoh, the Nkrankwanta District QCD Officer, also reminded the farmers that cocoa was the life blood of the economy and they should do their work in a manner that would help boost the industry.
He said there was more joy in farming now and the government would continue to do more than that to boost their morale.
The Chief of Kwame Yeboakrom, Nana Ata Yeboah, who chaired the function, also appealed to the COCOBOD to speed up repairs on all the cocoa roads before this year’s main cocoa season to ensure the smooth transportation of cocoa and foodstuffs from the area to the marketing centres.
He mentioned especially the road from Kwame Yeboahkrom to Di Asem Pa where the farmers had to carry their produce to travel about six kilometres before they got to Kwame Yeboakrom to sell.
The Assembly member for the area, Mr Peter Baah, also appealed to the COCOBOD to give the villages solar-light, cocoa clinic and schools.
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