Akyem Odumase (ER), Nov. 14, GNA - A group of cocoa farmers in the East Akyem District have accused mass cocoa spraying gangs in the area of indulging in negative practices. They claimed that the negative practice could undermine the Government's efforts of ensuring that farmers get maximum yields of their produce. They accused the gangs, among other things, of extorting monies from them before spraying their farms and asking farmers to buy their own insecticides. "They also divert the insecticides and do not do the spraying effectively".

The farmers made this known at a rally on the Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, organized by the District Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Unit (CSSVD) of the Ghana COCOBOD, at Akyem Odumase. The farmers suggested to the government to subsidize the spraying machines and the chemicals so that they would be able to buy them and spray their own farms.

Mr Francis Antwi-Adjei, Deputy Eastern Regional Manager of CSSVD, had earlier told the farmers that no insecticide could cure the disease and advised them to allow their cocoa trees to be cut, assuring them of adequate compensation to replant. Mr Antwi-Adjei said the swollen shoot disease was rampant in the Eastern Region and mentioned Kyebi, Suhum and Tafo as areas seriously infected.

He told the farmers that refusal to allow the diseased trees to be cut would result in the disease spreading to other farms. Mr Antwi-Adjei said the unit was determined to eradicate the disease completely and called for co-operation from cocoa farmers for results to be achieved. Mr Owusu Boadi, a cocoa farmer, advised the farmers to guard against child labour on their farms to prevent the International Community from blacklisting the country. He advised them to instead send their children to school to be responsible adults in the future.