Sefwi-Bawa (WN/R), Feb 15, GNA – The Bodi District office of the Ghana Cocoa Board marked this year’s National Chocolate Day celebration with Cocoa farms’ rehabilitation rally at Sefwi-Bawa in the Bodi District of the Western North Region.
Participants, who were mostly cocoa farmers, were educated on the benefits of consuming cocoa products.
Mr Maxwell Addai Appiah, the Bodi District Cocoa Coordinator, encouraged the people to consume more cocoa products.
He said products made from cocoa could be used to boost one’s immunity, help children’s intellect and brighten the skin.
‘’As cocoa farmers, we should eat and drink cocoa products at all times as a benefit, we should not just produce the cocoa beans and leave them to those in the cities to consume, we need to also derive all the benefits,” Mr Appiah advised.
Nana Kojo Adjei, a former Western North Chief Farmer, who chaired the event, appealed to cocoa farmers to cooperate with the District Cocoa Officers and cut down their aged cocoa trees and those affected by the swollen shoot disease to pave way for a more flourishing yield.
He also reminded the cocoa farmers that repayment of the loan allocation for the Cocoa Farms Rehabilitation Programme was being borne by Ghanaians, especially cocoa farmers.
He said there was the need for them to take advantage of the programme and ensure that they benefited from it.
Nana Adjei further appealed to the “weeding gangs” who were working on the Cocoa Rehabilitation farms to commit themselves to the policy and support it because it was through their efforts that the purpose of the programme would be achieved.
Mr Frank Osei Kofi, the Western North Regional Cocoa Extension Officer, also advised the farmers to be wary of bush fires and desist from using their children on cocoa farms during school hours.
The Cocoa officers visited the Bawa D/A primary school to celebrate National Chocolate Day with the School pupils and shared chocolate with them.
GNA