Cocoa spraying gangs appeal to government

New Edubiase, (Ash), GNA - Cocoa spraying gangs in the Adansi South District of the Ashanti Region have appealed to the government to expedite action on the payment of compensation to farmers, who released their spraying machines for the mass cocoa spraying exercise in the district, four years ago.

Mr Ben Asare, Adansi Amuduroase cocoa spraying gang supervisor, who made the appeal said the inability of the government to repair the broken down machines or compensate the owners had resulted in confrontation between the farmers and the gangs.

Mr Asare said some of the affected farmers have instituted court action against gang leaders, who approached them for the machines. Others have also threatened physical attacks on some members of the gangs.

According to Mr Asare, the farmers did not understand why the promise made by the government to compensate them for the use of their machines had not been honoured.

A source at the Adansi South District directorate of MOFA when contacted, confirmed the delays in the payment of the compensation to the affected farmers.

He said all the necessary documents for the compensation had been submitted to CODAPEC, which was in charge of the mass cocoa spraying exercise in Accra, but no money had been released for the payments yet.