Cocoa farmers advised to embrace COCOBOD's Productive Enhancement Programme

Mr Drissa Ouattara, the Dormaa Central Municipal Chief Executive has advised cocoa farmers to cooperate with the COCOBOD, as the company destroys cocoa trees affected by the swollen shoot diseases in the area.

The COCOBOD is implementing the Productivity Enhancement Programme (PEP) aimed at cutting down, and replanting cocoa trees affected by the swollen shoot disease and affected farmers are compensated with GHC1,000 per hectare of every cocoa farm destroyed.

Under the two-year programme, the Cocoa Health and Extension Division of the COCOBOD would replant the cocoas farms alongside shade trees, including Oframo and Emere as well as Plantain and Cocoyam.

Mr Ouattara gave the advice when he interacted with cocoa farmers at Komfourkrom in the Dormaa Municipality of the Bono Region.

He lauded the implementation of the PEP, saying, it would greatly help improve cocoa productivity, and advised the affected farmers to use the compensation judiciously to better their lives.

"The programme will enhance productivity and consolidate gains made in the cocoa sector and improve on the nation’s cocoa revenue,” Mr Ouattara indicated.

Mr Benjamin Adu-Bobbie, the Dormaa District Cocoa Officer explained the PEP formed part of measures put in place by the COCOBOD to attain the targeted 1.5 million tons of cocoa beans in the next three years.

He advised the cocoa farmers to embrace and support the programme, saying it would benefit them immensely.

Mr Adu-Bobbie said the programme would include a cocoa nursery exercise to provide temporary jobs for affected farmers, and support them to engage in rabbit rearing and snail production to enhance their socio-economic livelihoods.