The Deputy Agric Minister in charge of Cocoa Affairs, Kennedy Nyarko Osei has admonished cocoa farmers to take advantage of the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme.

He said Ghana Cocoa Board in place compensation packages for landowners and cocoa farmers who agree to cut and replant their Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV) affected farms.

The initial treatment grant which was pegged at ¢552.96 was increased to ¢1000.00 per hectare some months ago.

In January this year, a survey conducted revealed that out of a total of 1.9 million hectares of cocoa farms, 315,800 hectares had been affected by the swollen shoot virus disease.

The Western North region alone had 214,500 hectares of affected farms.

The Deputy Minister in an interview with Kwabena Agyapong on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm admonished cocoa farmers to allow their infected trees to be cut and replanted with high yielding, early bearing and disease tolerant seedlings for increased and sustainable yield.

He was optimistic Ghana would be producing over 1.2 million tonnes of cocoa in the next 3 years due to the replanting programme.

He said the cost of cutting the infected cocoa trees and replanting will be borne by government and Cocobod.

Also, plantain suckers and economic trees seedlings will be supplied at no cost to the affected farmers.