General News of Tuesday, 14 October 1997

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Cocoa Farmers Happy With Credit Scheme

Tepa (Ashanti Region), 13 Oct. Cocoa farmers at Tepa, Manfo, Anyinasuso and Betiako in the Ahafo Ano North District have hailed the credit scheme for the purchase of chemicals for the spraying of cocoa introduced by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) recently. They said the scheme has come at an opportune time and will make it possible for them to spray their farms at the right time. The Ahafo Ano North District Chief Farmer, Mr Oppong Fordjour commended the scheme at a farmers meeting at Tepa at the weekend. He advised the farmers to pay for the chemicals at the end of the season to attract more facilities. Mr Fordjour appealed to the government to rehabilitate some of the feeder roads in the district for the easy evacuation of cocoa and foodstuffs. The District Quality Control Officer, Mr Stephen Boamah, appealed to farmers to ferment their cocoa well. He said his outfit has embarked on an educational campaign on the production of quality grade beans to enable the country to regain its position as the world's leading producer of cocoa.