Obuasi, May 16, GNA - A chief has appealed to cocoa buying companies, purchasing clerks and farmers to collaborate to improve the quality of cocoa.

Nana Afawua Dum II, chief of Adansi-Nyankomase in the Adansi North District, told the GNA in an interview, "What is happening now is that as a result of the competition amongst the buying companies, fresh cocoa beans which have not fully fermented are bought by some of the companies.''

He said the activities of some of the companies were contributing to low quality beans.

Nana Dum, the Chief Farmer at Afiaso in the Adansi South District, said, "These practices are not helping to maintain the quality of the nation's cocoa on the world market.'' ''The quality of the country's cocoa must be maintained. I appeal to cocoa farmers not to allow the purchasing clerks to woo them into doing what was not expected of them.'' Nana Dum appealed to the government to help check the activities of some of the companies who use adjusted weighing scales to cheat cocoa farmers.