Cocoa farmers in the Wassa-East District have lauded the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Wilson Arthur for the massive support he continues to give to cocoa farmers in the area.
According to them, the DCE has demonstrated prudent leadership to cocoa farmers which had resulted in increased productivity.
The farmers gave the commendation when the DCE paid them a visit to inspect repair works on motorised Cocoa spraying solo machines given to them free of charge.
A cocoa farmer from Kakabo, Mr. Awatey Korley told the Ghana News Agency(GNA) that the motorised spraying machines have increased the acreage of their farms leading to a bumper harvest.
He expressed gratitude to the DCE for repairing their machines at no cost.
Another farmer from Jerusalem, Mr. Jacob K.Tetteh also told the GNA that the motorised spraying machines have eased work on their farms compared to the knapsack sprayers which they previously used.
Another farmer from Jerusalem, Mr. Eben Kofie also congratulated the DCE adding that the motorised spraying machines are faster than the manual ones.
A contractor with Sparks Ghana Ltd, Takoradi in charge of the repair works, Mr. Glenn Arkhurst who is billed to repair a minimum of 500 defective motorised Cocoa spraying machines for the farmers, told the GNA in an interview that so far 280 machines have been repaired at Atobiase, Dwenase and Akutuase zones and will move to Senchem and Ateiku zones.
The contractor said the cost of repairing one motorised machine is GHc800.00.
Mr. Arkhurst said the DCE provided the parts of the machines and bore the cost of the repairs in addition to the workmanship of the repairers.
The DCE who is also the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the December 2020 polls earlier told the farmers that it was the aim of the District Assembly to make Cocoa farmers in Wassa-East better off.
He said the Assembly had assisted the cocoa farmers with basic farming inputs to boost production.
He said the Assembly had supplied 120,000 bags of fertilizers to farmers this year in addition to free repairs of the motorised solo spraying machines.
Mr. Arthur disclosed that President Nana Akufo-Addo is billed to commission a pension scheme for cocoa farmers in October.
He said under the pension scheme, Cocoa farmers on pensions would receive their money on their mobile phones.
Mr. Arthur said that the NPP administration had fulfilled promises such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, planting for food and jobs, One District, One Factory among others.
The NPP Parliamentary aspirant reminded the farmers and people in the area of the numerous developmental projects he has championed as a DCE in the last three and half years.
Mr. Arthur asked them to vote massively for him in the Parliamentary polls and retain President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo come December 7, 2020.