The rally was to sensitise the farmers on best modern practices and also inform the cocoa farmers about on-going activities.

Speaking at the rally, Madam Christiana Amponsah, District Cocoa Officer (DCO) said hybrid cocoa seedlings would be distributed to the farmers.

She said other initiatives to support cocoa farmers included; the mass cocoa spraying exercise under the CODAPEC programme which had started, adding that, the pruning exercise would also begin in February 2019 as well as the pollination exercise.

Madam Amponsah said the spraying exercise also covered the overaged and diseased cocoa trees, “farmers are the heartbeat of COCOBOD so we are putting in measures to support your activities”.

She said COCOBOD was working to address challenges faced by the farmers to help improve their livelihood.

Mr Emmanuel Baah, Community Extension Agent educated the farmers on the benefits of pruning such as prevention of diseases, pests and parasites, ensuring farm hygiene and more importantly good yield harvest.

He appealed to the farmers to adhere to the extension education, as it aimed at enhancing crop yields thereby increasing their harvest, “farming is business and we must all play our part to make it profitable”.

Mr Obed Gyabeng, Assistant Technical Officer of the District’s Survey team enlightened the farmers about the on-going third country wide resurvey.

He urged the farmers to undertake proper maintenance of their farms for best yields and to also ensure they were pest and disease free.

Mr Mathew Baah, the Best Adansi South District Cocoa farmer shared his success story to everyone and attributed it to hard work and adherence to the extension education and encouraged other farmers to follow suit.

The Farmers commended the stakeholders for the education and support and appealed consistent and regular engagement.

The Farmers also pleaded with the government to provide farming communities with good roads, health facilities and input store.