W/R; Cocobod to destroy 10,000 hectres of cocoa infected by disease.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocobod, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo on his tour to the cocoa growing communities in Ghana honoured an invitation visit by Agriculture Extension Officers in the Wassa Amenfi District in the Western Region, Sunday August 26, 2018.

Hon. Joseph Baidoo said 17 percents of the entire cocoa industry in Ghana are being affected by cocoa virus disease, meanwhile the over aged cocoa farm growth stock hit 40 percent with 650, 000 hectares where Western Region constitute 60percent.

According to him the exercise is to cut the disease cocoa trees and assist the farmers to replant to get fresh farms.

The disease farms trees has to be demolished because it's yield is insignificant and in the distress situation they don't produce any fruits but cocoa farmers try to invest on the application of weedicide which also has it own implication on the land as well as the cocoa trees and any replanting without cutting the existing cocoa trees is a wasteful venture, Hon. Boahen Aidoo indicated.

Speaking to Spice Fm reporter Benjamin Bray, he said Cocobod will compensate the affected cocoa farmers financially when the exercise takes it effect whiles they will be provided free food crops "plantain stocks" for the farmers livelihood till the new planting of cocoa seedlings reach it harvest stage.

Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo therefore urged and encouraged the cocoa farmers in the western region and beyond to get on board on rehabilitation cocoa programme by Cocobod.