They were also called to always seek technical advice from officers of the Cocoa Health Extension Division (CHED) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to help increase production.

Mr Enoch Agudze, a prominent cocoa farmer, who was speaking at a meeting with cocoa farmers at Akorabo near Suhum in the Eastern Region, said that it is important the problems that have bedeviled the mass cocoa spraying exercise are dealt with swiftly to ensure that the country's projection for cocoa production in the 2019/2020 cocoa season is not undermined.

Mr Agudze, 58, also a Marketing Clerk of the PBC Limited, a cocoa Licensed Buying Company (LBC), appealed to the government to release insecticides for the mass spraying exercise to farmers on time.

He expressed concern about the inability of some cocoa farmers to have their farms sprayed, although the farms were infested with pests that destroyed cocoa beans.

Mr Agudze said about 260 cocoa farmers in the area were ready to receive their allocation of improved planting materials including seedlings for replanting.

He appealed to COCOBOD to develop an initiative through its extension programme to encourage the youth in cocoa production.