Osino (E/R), Feb. 14, GNA - The Osino District Cocoa Services Division supplied over 250,650 cocoa seedlings to farmers last year to replant or start new plantations in an effort to check the spread of the swollen shoot virus.

Mr Fred Aboagye, Chief Technical Assistant of the Division in-charge of the District who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at Akim Osino in the Fanteakwa District on Monday said over 60,000 seedlings were ready for sale to interested farmers this year. According to him, this could fetch the Division more than 30 million cedis.

Mr Aboagye said the Swollen Shoot Virus Control Unit was educating and assisting the farmers, especially the aged, to expand their plantations.

He said farmers in Akim Kwabeng, Akim Banso and Akim Osino benefited most from last year's seedlings supply. According to him, 135,000 seedlings went to the Kwabeng area, 87,000 to Osino and 28,685 to Akim Banso.

Mr Aboagye announced that the spraying of cocoa farms would start in August and expressed concern about the lukewarm attitude of some farmers, who he said, failed to give feed-back to his outfit about the condition of their farms for extension officers to go to their aid. 14 Feb. 05