Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) March 19, GNA- A total of 20,778 hectares of cocoa farms were sprayed against the black pod during last year's mass cocoa spraying exercise in the Dormaa District of Brong Ahafo. Mr. Akwasi Amanfo Bio-Frimpong, Dormaa District Coordinator of the exercise, who disclosed in an interview with Ghana News Agency at Dormaa-Ahenkro said 810 personnel were recruited for the exercise. He attributed the success of the programme to the availability of materials as well as the hard work of the spraying gangs. He said most of the farmers did not weed their farms early enough and appealed to them to do so this year for the exercise to take off on schedule.

He noted that personnel recruited last year for the exercise were not adequate for the volume of work and suggested the recruitment of a larger number this year.

Mr. Bio-Frimpong said the delay in the payment of allowances and wages and lack of first aid facilities for the personnel were some of the problems encountered and appealed to the authorities to address them.

He also suggested that spraying against capsid had been neglected by some farmers and that should be done along side the spraying against the black pod.

The District Coordinator called on the head quarters of programmes to pay medical bills of gang members as well as supervisors.