Cocoa farmers have been advised to utilize part of the high producer price of cocoa to form praying gangs among the youth in their areas to fight cocoa diseases which militate against high yielding of their farm.

At a farmers' rally on "Yewafuo Yie" action programme organised at Bonison, near Enchi by the Cocoa Services Divison, the Deputy Western Regional Cocoa Officer, Mr Kofi Pumpuni Gambrah told the farmers that part of the Kiloprogramme deductions made on their produce could be used as allowances for the youth to undertake the spraying of the farms. He said the exercise would serve that dual purpose of halting the exodus of the youth from the rural areas to urban centres in search of jobs whilst their farm would also be taken care of to ensure increased production.

The Regional Cocoa Officer, Mr Tony Fofie, Said Whilst concentrating on the mobilisation of the youth to take care of the farms, regular spraying of the farms should not be discarded or overlooked since the good condition of the farms was a pre-requisite for high yielding to bring in the much needed funds.

He advised the farmers to purchase insecticides from the extension offices of the Cocoa Services Division where the prices were moderate rather than from peddlers who sold them at cut-throat prices. The Enchi district chief farmer.. Nana Tandoh Boadi, appealed to the government to supply the farmers with spare parts for the repair of their old spraying machines.

He also asked for efficient mechanics to be sent to the area to undertake the repair of the broken down spraying machines.