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18.09.2018 General News

Create A Cocoa District For Us- Prestea Huni-valley MCE Appeals To Cocobod

Create A Cocoa District For Us- Prestea Huni-valley MCE Appeals To Cocobod
18.09.2018 LISTEN

The Municipal Chief Executive for Prestea Huni-Valley, Hon. Mozart K. Owuh has appealed dispassionately to Ghana Cocoa Board that time is due for Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality to have its own cocoa district, and is therefore as a matter of urgency appealing for one now.

The MCE, Hon. Owuh made the appeal September 18, 2018 at Prestea, when he was delivering a speech at the second "Regional Cocoa Yield Improvement Education Programme” organised by Ghana Cocoa Board, Western-South Region.

Hon. Mozart was unhappy about situations where Cocoa Farmers in Prestea Huni-Valley would have travel to Tarkwa Office of Cocoa Board, sometimes in very frustrating cues to obtain fertilizers and other facilities from Cocoa Board. He said, Prestea Huni-Valley, the second most populated Municipality in the Western deserves its own Cocoa District. “I have discussed with my MP, Hon. Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, and together, we are appealing to Cocoa Board to get Prestea Huni-Valley Cocoa District” he stated. “ We grow lots of cocoa here, but, you hear, Cocoa Roads, and its in the cities, meanwhile, Dwurigum, Enyinam, Botebone, Wassa Nkran, Banaho, No.1, and others, our roads are unmotorable!. Ghana Cocoa Board should revise the Cocoa Roads Project to affect the REAL Cocoa Farmer, not the cities” he added.

He promised that, from henceforth, if any fertilizer, or seedlings, he will help transport it to Prestea Huni-Valley from Tarkwa, so that, farmers are saved from travels. Hon. Mozart K. Owuh also stated further that, “some farmers are now cutting their cocoa to plant rubber or oil palm, but, I believe, there should not be a competition between the two crops. More education will help farmers understand that, some soils support rubber, others support rubber or oil palm. So there should not be a competition at all” .

He disclosed that, “1D1F, Oil Palm Factory will be established at Prestea”, thus all plantation crops are significant. The MCE, Hon. Mozart Owuh issued stern warning to Cocoa Farmers who sell their farm to galamseyers to mine gold. My wife has a cocoa farm at Enyinam, “since last year, galamsey people have been approaching her that, they want to buy the land to mine in near future, but, that is bad” he said. I have directed the District Taskforce, that “if they see any Cocoa Farmer who has sold his cocoa farm to Gold Miners, they should arrest both the farmer and the Miner. Both are guilty:.

Mr. Francis Antwi-Adjei, the Western South Regional Manager in charge of Cocoa Health and Extensive Division of Ghana Cocoa Board stated that “12.3 million seedlings have been nursed and given freely to farmers to ensure Cocoa Production takes shape again”. The Mass spraying, pruning programmes are all in place, and now, we are going to inaugurate Cocoa Cooperatives Societies for Tarkwa District. “These are indications of our commitment to ensure improved yield” he added.

The District Forestry Officer for Asankrangwa District, Mr. Yaw Opare Addo said, “every 2 acres of Cocoa farm should have at least 20 trees planted in to protect the cocoa plants from excessive sun. It also serves as wind breaks”. He advised that, anyone having idle land, should see Forestry Commission, so that, he will be assisted to plant trees on it, and in 20 years, it will become a great property. During the programme, groups of farmers who have formed cooperative societies were inaugurated.

The President of the newly inaugurated Tarkwa District Cooperative Societies, Nana Kwamena Danso, who is also the Divisional Chief of Enyinam said, he is very happy and “farmers who do not belong to any cooperative Union, should join one to help address their needs easily”. Nana Toku, Nifahene of Prestea Himan Traditional Area represented Nana Nteboah Prah IV.

Over 600 Cocoa Farmers took part in the programme.

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Desmond Nana Osei
Desmond Nana Osei

Western Region CorrespondentPage: DesmondNanaOsei

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