Cocoa Farmers in the Volta Region receives mosquito nets

Cocoa farmers in the Volta Region are benefiting from the distribution of insecticide mosquito nets from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as incentive package.

Mr Prosper Zegbla, Volta Regional Director of the Produce Buying Company (PBC), has distributed part of the 5,121 consignment to cocoa farmers at Jasikan and Bodada in the Jasikan District.

He said the distribution of the nets constituted to government's resolve to spur the farmers on for higher production of the commodity and to meet the 2010 target of a million ton.

Mr Zegbla said mass spraying of farms, scholarship scheme, paying of bonuses, buying fertilizer on high purchase, construction of feeder roads and provision of potable water to cocoa farming communities were geared at boosting the morale of producers and sustain cocoa production as the mainstay of the economy.

He expressed regret about the dwindling production of the commodity in the region and said the Volta Region contributed only 1,000 tons to the over 700,000 tons of cocoa produced countrywide last year.

Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Regional Director of Quality Control Division, urged cocoa farmers to maintain approved standards including use of chemicals as measures for preserving the country's premium.

He commended Jasikan district for making marginal increases in tons during the buying season last year.

Mr Vincent Batse, Hohoe Municipality Best Cocoa Farmer, called on communities to from taskforces to clampdown on smuggling.