The distribution forms part of the Assembly's initiative to supply one million hybrid seedlings to cocoa farmers to complement government's efforts to increase cocoa production.

  The Assembly had already established two nursery sites at Payase and Tokwai-Odumase where the seedlings were being produced for the purpose.

 Mr. Alexander Frimpong, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) at a durbar to officially announce the commencement of the distribution exercise, said the objective was to increase cocoa production and incomes of cocoa farmers in the Municipality.

 He noted that the Municipality was among the leading cocoa producers in the Region and that the Assembly was poised to maintain that feat since the commodity was the mainstay of the national economy.

 The MCE disclosed that a chunk of the seedlings would be allocated to the youth willing to go into cocoa farming as a means of addressing youth unemployment.

 He therefore encouraged the youth to take advantage of the initiative to empower themselves economically, adding that farming was a lucrative business that could transform their lives.

 The Assembly, he noted, was poised to support the youth to acquire entrepreneurial skills including farming to improve their lives.

 Mr. Albert Obour, a representative of the Municipal Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), commended the Assembly for the initiative and charged the farmers to be bold to replace ageing cocoa trees as they received the seedlings.

 He counselled them to engage the services of extension officers to ensure adherence to best farming practices.