The Ghana COCOBOD is said to be in the procurement process to implement irrigation technology to help cocoa farmers across the country during the dry season.
It is said on average a farmer-owned about 2.5 hectares, but 145 hectares make it easier to restore irrigation.
Meanwhile, Cocoa farms were affected by the Swollen Shoot Virus Disease on Cocoa trees.
However, cocoa researchers were said to have used three (3) months to have studied the cause decline in Cocoa production when cocoa trees were affected by the virus.
Besides buffering cocoa plants, shade trees also enhance soil fertility due to leaf shedding and pruning residues. These enrich the soil with organic matter and recycle nutrients and reduce soil erosion.
About three years ago, COCOBOD and the government initiated a process to tackle the menace through the cutting of disease farms (cocoa swollen virus disease) and rehabilitating them under a well-designed scheme that provided adequate compensation to farmers and their farms owners.
The Chief Executive Officer for Ghana COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo made this known to the media when he toured cocoa growing areas in the Western North Region to have first-hand information on the progress of work on the national cocoa rehabilitation program.
According to him, the irrigation which is yet to commence on cocoa farms was due to the effort of the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo when he led Ghana COCOBOD to South Africa to secure a loan for such implementation.
“Cocoa trees would have been destroyed five (5) years ago if cocoa rehabilitation was not introduced”, Boahen Aiddo added.
Mr. Aidoo debunked the European Union’s Legislation of assertion of Ghana destroying forests with cocoa production in the country.
Notwithstanding, COCOBOD CEO would therefore hand over cocoa farms to the farmers whose cocoa trees were affected by the virus after two years.
However, cocoa farmers at KumiKrom and its environs in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipal in the Western North Region applauded the government and COCOBOD for their timely interventions in the introduction of rehabilitation after the virus on cocoa farms.
Mr. George Gyapong, a cocoa farmer expressing his satisfaction on behalf of the farmers about the rehabilitation program, recommended the government for absorbing the full cost of their production from the cutting of the cocoa trees to its current stage.
They were overwhelmed and emphasized that the rehabilitation has come to help them as cocoa farmers.
Filed By Benjamin Bray Kantanka TV W/R Correspondent
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