Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has implemented a cocoa rehabilitation programme for cocoa farms affected by the swollen shoot disease in the Western North Region.
The Board directed that all cocoa trees affected by the disease be cut down for replanting of new hybrid cocoa seedlings as part of the cocoa rehabilitation programme.
This was disclosed by the Western-North Regional Manager in charge of Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) at COCOBOD, Mr. Kwame Owusu -Ansah while on a tour to inspect cocoa farms in three districts of the Region.
According to him, the advent of the swollen shoot disease has caused the region’s contribution to Ghana’s cocoa production to experience a downward slope. He states that for the past three years, Western-North Region has not been able to contribute to cocoa production as it used to contribute one-third of the country’s cocoa output.
The Regional Manager lamented about the decreasing fortunes of the region in terms of production as a result of the swollen shoot disease.
He went on to say that the cocoa industry as well as farmers would be left with nothing if the current situation is not salvaged. He predicted that this is likely to occur in the next three to four years if nothing is done.
He further revealed that COCOBOD subcontracted the implementation of the cocoa rehabilitation programme, that is, the tree cutting activity, to a private contractor at a cost of GH¢700 per hectare.
COCOBOD has also engaged 4,500 labourers within communities in the districts to weed the cocoa farms for rehabilitation works to commence.
As the Regional Manager continued to express his lamentations, he indicated that the healthy cocoa in the Region is about only 20 percent which requires a concentrated effort to reverse the trend.
He said as an alternative source of livelihood, COCOBOD has supplied free plantain suckers to the affected cocoa farmers to plant with the new Cocoa hybrid seedlings to be planted under the plantain, which would serve as economic shade trees for two years after which COCOBOD would release the farms to their owners.
According to him, COCOBOD had also decided to make compensation of Gh¢1,000.00 per hectare to farmers and the same amount to landowners.
The Public Relations Officer of COCOBOD, Mr. Benjamin Larweh also indicated that the disturbing nature of the swollen shoot disease and how to salvage the situation, was of much concern to industry players.
He, therefore, pleaded with the farmers to cut down the affected trees as there is no proven antidote to the disease.
