Akim Eshiem (Eastern Region) -- SOME COCOA spraying gangs in the Birim South district of the Eastern Region have appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency adjust their spraying allowances to ?10,000 per day.

If not adjusted, they said, it may jeopardise the mass spraying programme. Making the appeal through the Chronicle at Akim Ashiem in the Birim South district of the Eastern Region, they mentioned a lot of health problems facing them because of the nature of the work.

They explained that things have become more expensive, school fees, hospital bills, and lorry fairs have soared, not to talk about two square meals a day.

When this reporter inspected some farms being sprayed in the area recently against the black pod disease, a sprayer who claimed anonymity expressed satisfaction at the response farmers have given to the mass spraying programme in the area, which was progressing steadily and advised the spraying gangs not to divert the insecticides and the fungicides meant for the exercise.

He commended the spraying gangs for the effective manner in which they were carrying out the work in the area and expressed optimism that with their hard work coupled with the co-operation for the farmers, they would enjoy the fruits of their labour, while the nation's production will also rise to bring in the much needed foreign exchange.

The member explained that the government had made available more logistics for mass spraying against pests and other fungal diseases, which had tremendously affected cocoa yield.

On the disease and pest control, he hinted that an amount of about ?242 billion had been set aside for the disease and pest control programme, adding that the exercise will provide support for the cocoa farmers to improve husbandry and income productivity.

The farmers expressed gratitude to the government for the increase in cocoa price and urged it to ensure that their roads are motorable to ensure easy accessibility to the marketing centres with their produce.

A bag of 64 kilogramme of the commodity now sells at ?531,250 instead of ?387,500 while ?255,0000 be paid for a load of 30 kilogrammes.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has increased cocoa price three times since assuming office.

The first increase was in May 2001, and was from 3,475,000 to 3,872,000 per tonne, followed by further increase in October, 2001 and February 2002, culminating in a price of ?6,200,000 per tonne representing an increase of 78.4 per cent.