The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has refuted claims of not granting the necessary medical care to its contracted mass cocoa sprayers following the toxicity of the agrochemicals.
This comes on the back of concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Cocoa Farmers about the health complications of some of its members, alleging that some of them are suffering from blindness and impotence due to the prolonged usage of agrochemicals.
COCOBOD promises farmers freebies including free emergency pest control, free seedlings and subsidized fertilisers to make up for their loss. Under the Cocoa Pest Disease Control Programme (CODAPEC), government imports chemicals and hire spraying gangs which travel to cocoa growing areas to spray farms for farmers to stop pest attacks.
However, in an interview with Ahotor News, the head of the public relations department at COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, indicated that the board conducts regular medical check-ups for contracted farmers involved in cocoa spraying.
He denied the allegations, stating that the Cocoa Clinic has not seen such symptoms in any of the contracted sprayers.
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Story by: Osei Akoto(Teacher Kojo) #Ahotoronline.com
