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Harvested cocoa locked up due to collapsed bridge

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The road that links Asankragua and Enchi in the Western Region has been cut off due to the collapse of the bridge that links the two towns. The collapsed bridge is across River Tano and serves as a link to Wassa Amenfi West which is the leading cocoa growing area in the country followed by the Aowin - Suaman district. These areas are also noted for being the food baskets of the country with plantain and Cassava plantations. The 82-meter steel Bridge was constructed during the establishment of the AT&T, a timber firm, over fifty (50) years ago by the Ghana government, but has not seen any major repair works. The bridge reportedly collapsed on August 2, 2011 resulting in harvested cocoa being locked up in farms in these areas. Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Monday, the District Chief Executive for Wassa Amenfi west, Samuel Victor Meyisu said the bridge has turned into a deathtrap, making it impossible to access the road. Mr. Meyisu noted that apart from the difficulty in transporting cash crops, pregnant women due for delivery sometimes die on their way to hospitals because they are carried on stretchers to nearby health facilities. The DCE said the regional representative of the Council of State, Director for Bridges and the Roads Minister have visited the hanging bridge, yet nothing has been done about it. He therefore warned that if the bridge is not rehabilitated on time, cocoa production in the area will reduce because of post-harvest losses.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.