The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has raised fresh concerns over the growing impact of illegal mining, warning that the country’s cocoa industry is at risk if the destruction of cocoa farms continues.
According to COCOBOD’s Cocoa Health and Extension Division, more than 100,000 acres of productive cocoa farms have been destroyed by illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, in key cocoa-producing regions such as Ashanti, Western and Central.
Speaking at Samahu during the Cocoa Farmers Support Programme organised by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, the Western South Regional Manager of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division, Samuel Asuman, said the destruction of cocoa plantations is contributing to declining cocoa production and reducing Ghana’s export earnings.
He explained that the loss of cocoa farmlands has significantly affected cocoa output, making it difficult for the country to maintain production levels and earn enough foreign exchange from cocoa exports.
Asuman also noted that the decline in cocoa exports is limiting COCOBOD’s ability to meet its financial obligations and implement programmes that support cocoa farmers.
He described illegal mining as the biggest challenge facing Ghana’s cocoa sector, saying it continues to destroy farms that COCOBOD has spent years and substantial resources rehabilitating.
The Deputy Executive Director of COCOBOD’s Cocoa Health and Extension Division, Abdul-Majid Mumuni, also appealed to cocoa farmers not to lease or sell their farms to illegal miners.
He stressed that cocoa remains one of Ghana’s most valuable economic crops and urged farmers to consider its long-term benefits instead of the short-term financial rewards offered by galamsey operators.
Mumuni disclosed that the government, together with COCOBOD, is working on measures to better protect cocoa-growing communities, including introducing tougher sanctions against illegal miners whose activities destroy cocoa farms.
The Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, echoed the call, urging farmers to reject offers from illegal miners.
He warned that while the money offered by galamsey operators may provide temporary relief, cocoa farming offers sustainable income and long-term economic security for farming families and the country.
