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Cocoa farmers have been advised to take good care of their daughters, to enable them grow into adulthood, before they enter into marriage.

Mrs Victoria Afriyie- Quarcoo, Deputy Director of Nursing Services at the Apedwa Health Centre, who gave the advice at a cocoa farmers rally, organized at Nkronso in the East Akim Municipality, said this will help the incidence of teenage pregnancies in cocoa-growing communities.

She also advised the cocoa farmers to encourage their pregnant teenage daughters, to attend anti-natal clinics, and to take their medications and eat well to remain healthy during their pregnancy periods.

Mrs Quarcoo regretted that many of the pregnant teenagers who came to deliver at the health centre last year, were anemic, and so had to be referred to deliver at the Kibi Municipal Hospital, which has facilities for blood transfusion.

She said, last year, the Centre recorded 282 pregnancy cases, out of which 52 were  teenagers, and majority of who were anemic when they went into labour.

The Deputy Chief Cocoa Farmer for the area, Mr Stephen Boakye, advised cocoa farmers to take some time  off their work on their farms, to attend meetings to acquire information about the cocoa industry and learn modern ways of cocoa farming to help them increase their yields.