Kuntanase (Ash), May 12, GNA- Mr Bright Addai-Mununkum, District Chief Executive for Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma, has appealed to cocoa farmers in the area to be vigilant and resist any attempt by cocoa spraying gangs to steal pesticides meant for the cocoa spraying exercise.

He said the assembly had received a lot of complaints of theft and other malpractices by some unscrupulous members of the spraying gangs and supervisors in the district.

Mr Addai-Mununkum made the appeal at a meeting with farmers at Kuntanase on Tuesday.

The meeting which was originally meant to elect district executive of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association (GCCSFA), was turned into a forum after some of the farmers had opposed the elections on the grounds that society elections had not been held to elect representatives who were required to serve as delegates in the district level elections.

The DCE said the absence of an effective district farmers association was impeding the speedy implementation of policies and programmes meant for farmers in the district.

Mr Addai-Mununkum said the formation of the association and the election of a formidable executive would encourage the opening of cocoa purchasing centres in the district to enable the government to know the number of cocoa produced in the district.

Nana Moses Oppong Fordjour, Ashanti regional secretary of the association, urged the farmers to unite and check the activities of the spraying gangs.

He advised them to assist the government to reduce fraud in the exercise.

The farmers called on the government to re-direct the society chief farmers to receive and distribute the spraying materials on behalf of the farmers to the gangs.

This, according to them, would help reduce theft of the materials. 12 May 04