Accra, Aug. 17, GNA - Nana Kwame Gyawu, 2009 National Best Cocoa Farmer, has appealed to cocoa farmers especially those along Ghana's borders to reciprocate government's commitment to the cocoa industry through desisting from cocoa smuggling.

He said the government, through the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), had shown much commitment with assistance to cocoa farmers through mass spraying, payment of bonuses, provision of fertilizers and other inputs to boost the industry.

Therefore, cocoa farmers had the responsibility to reciprocate the commitment and desist from smuggling the produce.

"Management of COCOBOD is assisting cocoa farmers with scholarships for their children and wards, provision of access roads and other incentives. We have to put in more efforts to increase production to generate more revenue towards socio-economic development," he told the GNA in an interview on arrival from AGRITECH 2010 held in South Africa.

He was sponsored by COCOBOD as part of his award.

AGRITECH, an international exhibition and conference on agriculture farm equipment, dairy food, poultry, and livestock technology, was held at the Royal Agricultural Society of Kwazulu Natal, Pietermmaritzburg from August 10-12.

The three-day fair sought to showcase latest and most effective agriculture trends worldwide and an avenue for interaction between agricultural technology and its potential consumers from production, packaging to distribution.

Nana Gyawu 66, appealed to farmers to work hard to increase production adding that there was honour in hard work and farming and that had made him to participate in the fair.

He called on the youth to take up farming because there was dignity in farming and would help reduce unemployment in the country.