The devastating impact of illegal mining, locally known as galamsey, has resulted in the destruction of over 2,000 hectares of cocoa farms in the Ashanti Region.
This was revealed during a visit by the Ashanti Regional COCOBOD Manager to cocoa farmers in the Brofoyedru Cocoa District, located in the Adansi Asokwa District of Ashanti.
In an interview with Adom News correspondent Isaac K. Normanyo, the Ashanti Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health & Extension Division of COCOBOD, Ebenezer Kwabena Agyen, expressed deep concern over the rising menace of galamsey.
He disclosed that his office has launched a regional campaign aimed at combating illegal mining activities to protect the cocoa industry.
Agyen highlighted that many cocoa-producing districts have now turned into galamsey hubs, severely affecting cocoa output. He added that some illegal miners have gone as far as threatening and evicting farmers, only to destroy their cocoa farms to make way for mining operations.
The Brofoyedru District Manager, who also spoke at the event, lamented that over 100 acres of cocoa farms in the district have been destroyed by galamsey activities.
He noted that there are more than 1,000 cocoa farmers in the district, and those who follow proper agricultural practices are achieving good yields. However, galamsey continues to undermine their efforts.
He urged farmers to prioritize cocoa production, which is a perennial crop with long-term benefits, over illegal mining, which provides only short-term gains and depletes the land’s resources quickly.
The situation calls for urgent intervention to save the livelihoods of farmers and the future of the cocoa industry.