Akim Oda (E/R), July 15, GNA - A traditional ruler at Essaso in the Eastern Region has urged the government not to relent in its support to cocoa farmers in the country.

Nana Obutu III, Chief of Essaso in the Asamankese Traditional Area tol= d the Ghana News Agency at Akim Oda that to enable them to do more to increas= e production there was the need for the government to always motivate the country's cocoa farmers.

According to the Chief, a yearly increase of the producer price of the commodity would motivate the local cocoa farmer to work hard to increase hi= s yield.

Nana Obutu noted that since the government had no commercial state-owned farms, it would be a better idea to put in place interventions that would help enhance the production of cocoa which is the livewire of th= e nation's economy.

The Traditional Ruler noted further that though bonuses were released for disbursement to farmers, these huge sums of money went into wrong pockets without reaching the ordinary cocoa farmer. He stated that there was no proper supervision over payment of bonuses to farmers, thereby allowing the cocoa buying companies to keep cocoa farmers' bonuses to themselves, and thus depriving the farmers from enjoy= ing such interventions.