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More than 8,924 cocoa trees affected by the swollen shoot disease in the Dormaa West District in the Brong Ahafo Region have been cut. The affected trees were cut under a special programme by the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (CocoBod) to ensure that the disease does not spread to other cocoa trees. Under the programme, 31 farmers, whose total farm area of 26.20 hectares have been affected by the disease are being assisted by CHED to replant their farms with high yielding cocoa seedlings. Replanting The Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of CHED, Mr Thomas Tweneboa-Koduah, told the Daily Graphic at Nkrankwanta that a total of 28,143 high yielding cocoa seedlings had so far been supplied free of charge to the 31 affected farmers. He explained that the number of trees supplied exceeded the trees cut because the affected farmers had extended their farms. In addition, a total of 70 bags of ammonia fertiliser have also been supplied to the farmers for free. Mr Tweneboah-Koduah explained that 5.3 million high yielding cocoa seedlings had been supplied to farmers in the region under different programmes to boost cocoa production. In the Nkrankwanta area alone, he said, a total of 150,000 high yielding cocoa seedlings, including those given to the 31 farmers, had been supplied. Farmers� experience Sharing his experience of the swollen shoot disease, the Dormaa West Chief Farmer, Opanin Yaw Amankwaah, said cocoa extension officers detected that his farm had been infected by the disease when the yield started going down. �So far, I have planted 1,500 high yielding cocoa seedlings to replace affected trees which were cut,� he said. He advised farmers who were in similar situations to destroy the swollen-shoot-affected cocoa trees and replace them with the high yielding seedlings which would start yielding in two years. He thanked the Cocobod for the free supply of seedlings, fertiliser and the extension services which would boost their farming activities. Mr Musah Nuhu, a farmer at Krakrom who had planted his 2.63 hectares with the high yielding cocoa seedlings, expressed his appreciation for the package. �We are expecting to have bountiful harvest in two or more years and I am happy to be part of this programme,� he stated.