Obuasi (Ashanti Region), 9 Nov.,

The Adansi West District Branch of the Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association has appealed to the government to rehabilitate 33 bridges spanning various feeder roads leading to cocoa growing areas in the district. The association said rehabilitation of the bridges would facilitate the carting of cocoa to marketing centres. Making the appeal at a farmers' forum at Obuasi, Nana Abankwa Ababio, the chairman, called on the government to reduce the price of DDT insecticide to enable farmers to spray their farms. ''We are not interested in the government's arrangements to give farmers DDT on credit. What we want is reduction in price to enable us buy more for our farms''. He advised the farmers to weed and spray their farms regularly to enable them to achieve high yields. Nana Ababio who is also the Chief of Sikaman advised the farmers to accept the kilo-kilo deduction idea to help the association mobilise funds for development. Mr. T. K. Bentum, District Manager of the Produce Buying Company, appealed to cocoa farmers to work harder to enable the country to regain its position in the industry.