The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, has presented 84 cocoa spraying machines to cocoa farmer groups in the constituency to enhance their capacity to combat cocoa diseases and improve productivity.
The machines, which were handed over to beneficiary cocoa cooperative societies, are expected to support farmers in carrying out effective and timely spraying exercises on their farms.
The initiative forms part of efforts to improve cocoa production by equipping farmers with the necessary tools to protect their farms against diseases and other challenges that affect yields.
At a presentation ceremony, Dr Boako urged the leadership of the beneficiary farmer groups to ensure that the machines were distributed and used fairly, irrespective of the political affiliation of individual farmers.
He cautioned against politicising the management and use of the machines, stressing that the intervention was intended to benefit cocoa farmers and improve their livelihoods.
“I consider myself a father to all constituents, so I do not want partisan politics to influence the management, distribution and use of these machines,” he said.
Dr Boako said the machines had been provided to support farmers in their efforts to increase production and, therefore, called on the beneficiaries to attach importance to their proper use and maintenance.
He advised the farmers to use the machines strictly for their intended purpose and ensure that they were properly maintained to prolong their lifespan and enable other farmers to benefit from them in the future.
The MP also encouraged the farmers to use only approved chemicals in their farms to control cocoa diseases and protect their crops.
He said improving cocoa production required a collective effort involving farmers, government agencies and other stakeholders, adding that providing farmers with the appropriate equipment was essential to achieving better yields.
Approved chemicals
For his part, the Municipal Cocoa Officer, Mr Albert Kwame Assuman, advised the beneficiary farmers to use only authorised and approved cocoa chemicals recommended by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
He explained that the use of approved chemicals was important to ensure effective disease control while protecting the cocoa trees and the quality of cocoa beans produced.
Mr Assuman cautioned farmers against the use of unapproved chemicals, saying such products could have adverse effects on cocoa production and undermine efforts to maintain the quality of the country’s cocoa.
He urged the farmers to strictly adhere to technical guidelines provided by COCOBOD and other relevant authorities whenever they undertook spraying activities.
Farmers grateful
Some of the beneficiary cocoa farmers expressed their appreciation to Dr Boako for the gesture, describing the provision of the spraying machines as timely and beneficial to their farming activities.
According to them, access to the machines would make spraying operations easier and more efficient, particularly for farmers who previously faced difficulties obtaining the necessary equipment.
They said the intervention would contribute to improved disease control and increased cocoa production in the constituency.
The farmers pledged to take good care of the machines and ensure that they were used for their intended purpose.
They further appealed for continued support to enable cocoa farmers to improve their productivity and contribute meaningfully to the development of the local economy.
