Katakyiekrom (B/A), Sept. 11, GNA - Some aggrieved cocoa farmers at Katakyiekrom in the Jaman South District of Brong Ahafo said their farms have not been sprayed and blamed the district authorities for their predicament.

They alleged at an emergency meeting at Katakyiekrom that, they were discriminated against by Mr Apraku Tanor, the District Chief Executive, the District Agriculture Officer and Mr Douglas Kwabena Bediako, District Gang Co-ordinator, as they were not benefiting from the nation-wide mass cocoa spraying exercise.

The farmers alleged that their predicament was "politically motivated," as most of them belonged to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.

Mr Charles Anane, spokesperson and chief farmer at Katakyiekrom said to save their farms from collapse, they had hired gang sprayers, each of whom they paid the monthly allowance of 360,000 cedis from their own resources.

He said the area gang supervisor, Mr Joseph Ankamah, was battling for survival in the gang, as the district task force, presided over by the DCE had sidelined him and two other key figures in the selection exercise for gang membership.

The farmers claimed that they were being cheated because three sprayers in their area had opposed a deduction of 60,000 cedis that Mr Bediako slapped on the allowances of each of the 210 gang sprayers in the district.

They said Mr Bediako had explained that the deduction was to be used to buy sheep for the DCE and part "to grease the palms of their superiors," who ensured that they received their allowances at the end of every month, even though they did not work, for lack of chemicals. When contacted by the GNA, Mr Francis Apumbora, acting District Director of Agriculture, denied the allegations, saying, he did not have any knowledge about the 60,000 cedis deduction nor the sheep offer to the DCE.

Mr Amponsah Boateng, Assembly Member for Katakyiekrom told the GNA that the farmers themselves had disallowed the spraying of their farms. Close sources however, indicated that efforts by the Brong Ahafo Regional Chief Farmer, Nana Agyei Damoah, COCOBOD officials and Dr Opoku, National Co-ordinator of the spraying exercise to resolve the issue with the DCE and other parties had not been successful. Efforts to contact the DCE proved futile, as he was said to have travelled outside Drobo, the district capital.