Cocoa farmers in Mpraeso Constituency have said government’s investments in improving their living conditions were the best so far.

They said aside the government making strides to boost the growth of the sector; the Akufo-Addo government has shown progressive commitment to improving the conditions of farmers.

The farmers made these remarks when the Parliamentary Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Davis Opoku Ansah, popularly called OPK and a host of party leaders paid a campaign visit to them at Adontenkrom.

During the visits, Mr Opoku took turns to explain to them in detail the government’s interventions in the cocoa sector.

He touched on initiatives such as the Living Income Differential (LID), which ensured farmers received an extra $400 income on every tonne of cocoa, they produced.

He also talked about the free cutting and replacing of diseased cocoa trees, this, he said includes free farm labour for two years and compensation for farmers who had the swollen shoot virus disease in their farms.

“The government has introduced nationwide hand-pollination which has tripled yields for beneficiary farmers,” the aspiring legislature underscored; adding that “An introduction of nationwide mass pruning of cocoa trees to massively boost yields, which has curtailed the spread of diseases and protect the environment”.

He said the government had not only ensured a timely supply of adequate fertilisers but had also tripled the number of extension officers by employing and training over 1300 youth within cocoa-growing areas to provide extension services to farmers.

The NPP Mpraeso Parliamentary Candidate implored them to keep their hopes in the President Akufo-Addo and government to do more for them.

The campaign team visited Fomanso, Yirenkyikrom, Mamfe, Akropong, Afarikrom, Aboagyekrom, Asantekrom, and climaxed it with a mini durbar at Atuobikrom, the capital of the electoral area.