Nana Kumi Abiesi, the Nsawam–Adoagyiri Municipal Chief Farmer in the Eastern Region, on Monday said COCOBOD has increased spraying machines in the various cocoa growing areas to enable the spraying gangs reach every farm to combat the capsid virus.

Speaking at a meeting with cocoa farmers at Nsawam, he said embracing the mass cocoa spraying exercise would help farmers to increase the crop yield.

Nana Kumi, also the Chief of Abiesi near Nsawam, said when farmers embraced the programme it would help increase the national cocoa output to reduce poverty among the farmers.

He said the spraying exercise was part of the cocoa production method and its introduction was a testimony of government's determination to help improve the cocoa industry.

The chief farmer, therefore, urged the farmers to embrace the mass spraying exercise and also allow their infested cocoa trees to be cut and replanted to increase yield.