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COCOBOD has signaled strong determination to bring transparency and equity into its distribution of chemicals and other inputs to farmers - to fight cocoa diseases and pests and scale-up production, with the setting up of special taskforce to handle the activity in the districts.

The membership include officers from the Ghana Police Service and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Deputy Chief Executive in-charge of Operations, Mr. James Kofi Kutsuati, said the goal was to strengthen the distribution chain to prevent diversion.

Performing the ceremony to formally inaugurate the Juaboso District Taskforce, he said, everything should be done to make sure that the inputs got to the right people to achieve the desired results.

These should be made available to farmers on the basis of fair practice and not partisan political consideration nor favoritism.

He urged the taskforce to work hard to minimize, if not completely eliminate the complaints by the targeted end-users.

Mr. Kutsuati hinted that about 60 million high-yielding seedlings would be supplied to farmers across all the cocoa growing districts to replace over-aged farms and disease-stricken plants, this year.

This tied in with plans to substantially raise cocoa production levels, he added.

Dr. Francis Baah, Executive Director, Cocoa Health and Extension Division, said the chemicals and fertilizers were meant for the maintenance of farms aged not more than 30 years.

The inputs are being given out to the farmers free of charge and must not attract any fee.

Similar taskforces had been inaugurated in Bibiani, Sefwi-Bekwai, Essam, Adjoafua, Adabokrom, Akontonbra, Dadieso, Enchi and Bonsu-Nkwanta.