Mr Patrick Atawoje Kaba, Cocoa Officer for the Asante-Akim North and South Districts, has said the only effective way of tackling the cocoa swollen shoot disease, was to cut down the infested trees.
He has therefore appealed to farmers to report cases of the disease to the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit.
Mr Kaba was addressing farmers at separate rallies, organized by the Unit at Krofa and Patrensa, in the Asante-Akim North municipality.
The rallies were to educate them on the need to ensure regular maintenance of their farms to raise crop yield.
He said under the cocoa rehabilitation and extension programmes of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the government would support farmers with hybrid cocoa seedlings and other inputs to rehabilitate cut down farms.
Additionally, they would receive adequate compensation.
Mr Kaba gave the assurance that the extension staff of the CSSVD would give the farmers the necessary technical assistance to adopt the right
agronomic practices to enhance productivity.
He asked them to periodically spray their farms against the cocoa "capsid" and "blackpod" diseases.
The Cocoa Officer advised them against engaging children on their farms.
Other rallies were held at Nyaboe, Juansa and Konongo.