Mourso (E/R), May 23, GNA - Mr Antwi Agyei, the Eastern Regional Manager of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Unit (CSSVDCU), has advised farmers whose cocoa farms have been affected by the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD) to allow the trees to be cut down.

He said the disease was highly infectious adding that the only way to get rid of it was to cut down the affected cocoa tree to prevent it from spreading to other trees. Mr Agyei, who was speaking at the Regional farmers rally at Mourso in the Atiwa District, assured the farmers that owners of destroyed farms would be supplied with swollen shoot resistant hybrids for re-planting in addition to a financial compensation. He told the farmers that the Ghana COCOBOD had targeted the production of one million tons of cocoa by next year and the achievement of that target would depend greatly on how they co-operate with the CSSVDCU.

Mr Agyei expressed worry that though the disease was prevalent in the area, the affected farmers were not allowing their cocoa trees to be cut down. Mr M.K. Donkor, Regional Rehabilitation Co-ordinator, said under the Cocoa rehabilitation scheme, aged cocoa trees were to be cut down and the farmers supplied with subsidized fertilizers and free seedlings for re-planting. Mrs Melody Arthur, Regional Extension Co-ordinator, advised the farmers to embark on income generating activities like bee-keeping, snail rearing and honey extraction alongside the production of cocoa.

She told the farmers that the COCOBOD was partnering with the District assemblies to provide social amenities like electricity supply and portable water in cocoa growing communities. Nana Kofi Obeng, the District Chief Farmer, advised the farmers to guard against child labour to prevent the country from being blacklisted. He advised the farmers not to smuggle cocoa to neighbouring countries in order not to undermine the country's economy.

Nana Obeng appealed to the government to rehabilitate roads leading to cocoa growing communities as well as the construction of bridges to facilitate the evacuation of cocoa to the depots. Mr Emmanuel Atta Twum, Atiwa District Chief Executive, appealed to the youth to go into cocoa production instead of indulging in illegal gold mining operations