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19th May, 2010
Continue To Focus On Cocoa Sector - Ghana Told
GHANA should continue to focus on the cocoa sector in spite of the prospects from the oil find, the Municipal Director of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control (CSSVD) of COCOBOD, in charge of the Tarkwa and Huni Valley Districts, Mr Kwadwo A. Brako, has said.
He stressed that, Ghana’s reliance on cocoa cannot be ignored for the oil sector which has gained pronounce in the country today adding that “if we lose focus we will spell our doom.”
Mr Brako made this assertion at a cocoa farmers rally on the cocoa expansion and rehabilitation programme here near Huni Valley.
He said that cocoa could continue to play its lead role in the economy and be the country’s number one foreign exchange earner.
“Cocoa could supplement revenues from the oil and mining sectors. And so we must not abandon our cocoa farms in pursuit of mining and oil since it could spell the doom of the country in future”, Mr Brako said.
He appealed to cocoa farmers not to delay in contacting the CSSVD offices if they had any challenges in their enterprises.
The Western South Regional; Manager of the CSSVD, Mr Francis Antwi-Adjei said that the COCOBOD had procured a Global Positioning Response System (GPRS) to detect the cocoa swollen shoot that affected cocoa trees in the country.
“Cocoa swollen shoot has become a major threat to the cocoa industry in Ghana and it must be eradicated without any further delay”, he told the farmers at the rally.
According to Mr Antwi-Adjei, the cocoa swollen shoot disease was a viral disease like the HIV and AIDS which affected humans and that its detection was a little difficult.
The only remedy for the disease the Regional Manager said, was to cut down the diseased cocoa trees and replant the farms with new ones to prevent the spread of the virus and the destruction of large tracts of cocoa farms.
He assured the farmers that those whose farms would be identified as having swollen shoot infected trees would receive compensation for all trees cut, and quick and high yielding seedlings would be supplied in replacements.
“Mr Antwi-Adjei continues that if such diseased trees were not cut, the yield per hectare would be greatly reduced.
He assured the farmers that the services of the agriculture extension officers would be made available to them as they re-planted their farms and also safe-guard their future investments.
He indicated that COCOBOD was targeting to reach the one million metric tonnes of cocoa for Ghana by 2012 and therefore appealed to the farmers to adopt modern practices to enable them assist in achieving the target.
Fertilizers, Mr Antwi-Adjei said, would be sold at a subsided prices to the farmers to improve the nutrient base of their lands warming “You should not sell the fertilizer
He stressed that, Ghana’s reliance on cocoa cannot be ignored for the oil sector which has gained pronounce in the country today adding that “if we lose focus we will spell our doom.”
Mr Brako made this assertion at a cocoa farmers rally on the cocoa expansion and rehabilitation programme here near Huni Valley.
He said that cocoa could continue to play its lead role in the economy and be the country’s number one foreign exchange earner.
“Cocoa could supplement revenues from the oil and mining sectors. And so we must not abandon our cocoa farms in pursuit of mining and oil since it could spell the doom of the country in future”, Mr Brako said.
He appealed to cocoa farmers not to delay in contacting the CSSVD offices if they had any challenges in their enterprises.
The Western South Regional; Manager of the CSSVD, Mr Francis Antwi-Adjei said that the COCOBOD had procured a Global Positioning Response System (GPRS) to detect the cocoa swollen shoot that affected cocoa trees in the country.
“Cocoa swollen shoot has become a major threat to the cocoa industry in Ghana and it must be eradicated without any further delay”, he told the farmers at the rally.
According to Mr Antwi-Adjei, the cocoa swollen shoot disease was a viral disease like the HIV and AIDS which affected humans and that its detection was a little difficult.
The only remedy for the disease the Regional Manager said, was to cut down the diseased cocoa trees and replant the farms with new ones to prevent the spread of the virus and the destruction of large tracts of cocoa farms.
He assured the farmers that those whose farms would be identified as having swollen shoot infected trees would receive compensation for all trees cut, and quick and high yielding seedlings would be supplied in replacements.
“Mr Antwi-Adjei continues that if such diseased trees were not cut, the yield per hectare would be greatly reduced.
He assured the farmers that the services of the agriculture extension officers would be made available to them as they re-planted their farms and also safe-guard their future investments.
He indicated that COCOBOD was targeting to reach the one million metric tonnes of cocoa for Ghana by 2012 and therefore appealed to the farmers to adopt modern practices to enable them assist in achieving the target.
Fertilizers, Mr Antwi-Adjei said, would be sold at a subsided prices to the farmers to improve the nutrient base of their lands warming “You should not sell the fertilizer
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