About 367 million cedis is to be disbursed as bonus to cocoa farmers in 28 societies of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) in the Nkawie District.

Mr. Yaw Sarpong, Nkawie District Manager of the PBC of the Ghana Cocoa Board, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the amount covered purchases made as at the end of December 2002.

He advised farmers to stick to the use of the Akuafo Cheque so that they could enjoy facilities like soft loans from the banks during the off-season.

Mr. Sarpong reminded cocoa farmers that the PBC remained a credible cocoa buying company and that they should continue to sell their produce to it.He advised them to take advantage of the increase in the producer price of cocoa and the payment of bonuses and step up their production.

In a related development Nana Yaw Kusi, National Best Cocoa Farmer, has advised cocoa farmers to assist the government in the fight against cocoa smuggling.

This, he said, would boost national revenue and would enable the government to provide incentives for farmers.

Nana Kusi told the GNA that the government was spending huge sums of money to provide incentives to farmers and any attempt by farmers to indulge in such anti-social activities amounted to ungratefulness.

Nana Kusi said only five people formed the cocoa spraying gang at Tenewohoye area and this made the mass cocoa spraying exercise in the area ineffective last season.He appealed to cocoa buying agencies to pay what was due to farmers as bonus without delay.