Cooperating with COCOBOD in our quest to reduce CSSVD – Dr. Dwomoh calls on cocoa farmers

Company News from Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Source: COCOBOD

2019-06-05

Dr. Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh, Director General of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control (A & QC), expressed his concern at the poor cooperation of cocoa producers with agents popularizing cocoa in their quest to facilitate the rehabilitation of the sick. and aging farms.

According to him, the cocoa proliferation viral disease (CSSVD) and the moribund cocoa farms account for about 40% of destroyed Ghanaian cocoa trees, which has a serious impact on productivity per hectare.

Dr. Agyemang Dwomoh was in contact with cocoa farmers in Kumikrom, an agricultural community in Sefwi Bekwai District, North West Region. Mr. Dwomoh explained that the production yield in the western region, which has so far represented 30% of Ghana's total production, had lost this enviable position due to the devastating effect of the CSSVD.

"The West-North region, which has provided about 330,000 metric tons, now produces 140,000 because of the creeping nature of the CSSVD virus, is not good for the region," he added. .

According to Mr. Dwomoh, COCOBOD was implementing the national cocoa rehabilitation program as part of efforts to combat the threat. The program, he said, would help increase productivity and improve farmers' livelihoods.

"I want to implore you, dear farmers, to cooperate with COCOBOD to facilitate the smooth implementation of all our productivity improvement programs (PIPs), including the rehabilitation program," he said. declared.

Dwomoh also warned farmers against abandoning weed killers in cocoa plantations, as such practices affect the quality of Ghana's cocoa beans.

He badured farmers that projects were under way to purchase motorized slashers to weed and prune their cocoa plantations. He also urged farmers to form farmer cooperatives to facilitate identification and access to inputs, funds and other benefits.

Farmers congratulated COCOBOD for this initiative and pledged to support the programs.

Dr. Dwomoh and his team traveled to the Northwest and Bono Ahafo regions to check the state of CSSVD control in the regions.