Adama West Africa Limited, manufacturers of pesticides, has engaged stakeholders in the cocoa industry as part of efforts to provide a cost-effective farm input to cocoa farmers. The engagement was also to afford management of Adama West Africa the opportunity to elicit feedback from Chief Farmers, Cocoa Technical Officers, Agro Input Dealers and other stakeholders in the cocoa value chain on the efficacy of its products. Mr Joshua Banana Awutey, Marketing and Development Manager of Adama West Africa, told participants that their products were tried, tested and safe for use. He said with their global presence and direct reach to farmers, his outfit was committed to using innovative technology and digital solutions to solve problems cocoa farmers faced. According to him, Adama products such as Banjo Forte 400, Vamos 500 SC, EMA STAR 112 EC, Aceta star 46 EC and Trivor 310 DC among others, were effective and efficient in controlling major insect pests and diseases on cocoa farms. Mr Awutey, however, cautio ned farmers not to mix two products or chemicals together to avoid complications. Instead, they should read instructions and seek advice from extension officers before spraying the chemicals on their crops. Mr Samuel Osei, the Western-South Regional Manager of Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), said the news from the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD that Ghana has lost over 500,000 hectares of cocoa farms to cocoa swollen shoot virus disease was a source of concern to the cocoa sector especially, the CHED. He said cocoa production had declined in the last three years, thereby affecting the local economy, hence welcomed the collaboration with Adama West Africa Limited to sensitize cocoa technical officers, farmers, and agro input dealers on the right and appropriate use of their products for maximum yields. Mr Osei noted that as part of the Productivity Enhancement Programmes, COCOBOD had earmarked 900,000 hectares of cocoa farms for pruning throughout the country t his year, with 222,798 hectares of the total figure being in the Western-South Region. 'As part of the Agenda Restoration, cocoa farmers in the Western-South Region are being supported technically to increase their farms productivity through the adoption of good agronomic practices such as pruning, poultry manure application, foliar fertilisers application, hand pollination and effective crop protection to produce at least 300,000 metric tonnes of cocoa between 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons,' he added. The Western-South Manager said COCOBOD would, therefore, assist all cooperatives, associations, and groups with standard and motorised pruners as well as fuel and lubricants for massive cooperative-led pruning exercise of all cocoa farms in the Region. Mr Osei said: 'We will also engage the services of mass sprayers to apply both flowering inducers and foliar fertilisers on all farms pruned in the Region and the country at large.' He, thus, called on all cocoa farmers to support the Agenda Restoration ( A gRes - 300K!) to restore and revamp cocoa production in the Region for enhanced economic activities in the cocoa growing communities. Source: Ghana News Agency