The Mankrom Cocoa Cooperative Farmers’ Association has hinted at a devastating blow to the cocoa sector, calling on the government to declare a state of emergency as illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey,’ has destroyed over 100,000 acres of cocoa farms.
Addressing the issue of illegal mining and its impact on livelihoods, the president of the association, Francis Teinor, lamented the loss of farmlands to the destructive practice.
In an interview with Citinews, Mr. Teinor said, “They are destroying cocoa farms and lands for this illegal mining and we have not heard anything. In case the government is not aware of the destruction; the Cocoa Board is telling farmers that they cannot do anything as of now looking at the level of harm and the big men that are into gold mining”.
According to him, “More than 100,000 acres of farmlands have been destroyed due to illegal mining and it has affected us and our production for this year. Because most of the cocoa has been cut down and once they have been cut down, it is making things difficult for us to get the harvest that we are getting.”
“Government should declare a state of emergency in the ‘galamsey’ areas. All ‘galamsey’ issues should be halted so that after the elections, a commission should be set up to investigate all the illegal mining in the country so that we come up with a blueprint, for the way that we should do mining in Ghana”.
“Other than that everybody has to just wake up and search for gold and illegally continue on those businesses, then lives and properties will continue to be affected,” he suggested.