Adupri (Ash), Sept 8, GNA - The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has distributed 350,000 cocoa seedlings free of charge to cocoa farmers in the Nkawie Cocoa District, this year.

This is to support the farmers to replant the seedlings on farms destroyed because they were attacked by swollen shoot disease to increase production.

Mr Kingsley Owusu-Appiah, District Officer, Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Diseases Control Unit (CSSVD) of the COCOBOD, said these at a forum to sensitize farmers against child labour on cocoa farms at Adupri in the Atwima Mponua District.

He said the farmers were also supplied with 4,620 economic trees including Framo, Amire and Mahogany, and the staff of the Board was assisting in the planting of the cocoa seedlings.

Mr Owusu-Appiah appealed to the farmers to cooperate with the staff to ensure the success of the project.

Mr Ignatius Pumpuni, the District Extension Coordinator, CSSVD, asked the famers to ensure that their children were retained in school.

He said parents could ask their children to do minor work but they should not be engaged in worst form of labour that could affect their growth and development.

Mr Abubakar Mohammed, Atwima Mponua District Director of Social Welfare, said any nation that fails to seek the welfare of children has "no future."

Reverend Simon Mensah, the Ghana Education Service District Focal Person on Child Labour, said 93There is the need for parents to provide the needs of their children and encourage them to study hard".

He advised parents to take advantage of government educational interventions and send their children to school.

Mr Ransford Boah, Nyinahin District Quality Control Officer of COCOBOD appealed to cocoa farmers to work hard to increase productivity.