Dr.
Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice-Presidential candidate, has praised the Nana Addo-led government for revitalizing the livelihoods of thousands of cocoa farmers through its extensive Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme.
Addressing a gathering of chiefs at Debiso in the Western North Region on Monday, Dr Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO explained that the rehabilitation initiative was crafted to combat the spread of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and revive cocoa farms affected by the disease. "Through this initiative, we have taken steps to restore the lost livelihood of cocoa farmers by not only addressing the disease but also boosting farm productivity and resilience," Dr Prempeh stated.
Reflecting on the previous administration, he noted that under John Mahama's government, farmers had been left to manage the impact of CSSVD largely on their own. "Instead of intervening to secure our cocoa sector, the previous government left farmers to handle CSSVD alone.