The President of the Ghana National Association of Cocoa Farmers, Stephenson Anane Boateng, has raised concerns about the negative health effects of prolonged use of agrochemicals on farmers, including loss of vision and sexual potency.
Mr. Anane Boateng stated that some farmers have reported loss of vision, while others have experienced sexual dysfunction, both of which are a result of the use of chemicals on their farms.
Mr. Anane Boateng reported that many farmers become weak after inhaling chemicals used to spray cocoa trees.
He indicated that farmers quickly find milk to resuscitate colleagues after cocoa spraying exercises.
According to Mr. Anane Boateng, most cocoa-farming communities in Ghana lack the necessary health facilities to offer medical assistance to farmers suffering from health challenges.
“We do all the dirty work, but there’s no hospital for farmers to attend. Some of our members’ eyes are not functioning; others’ men’s penises are not functioning,” he lamented.
Mr. Anane Boateng stated that illegal miners are taking over Ghana’s cocoa farms and polluting water bodies with harmful metal residues from their environmentally harmful practices, in addition to chemical use.
He noted that farmers can no longer rely on natural water sources for drinking and irrigation, forcing them to purchase purified water.
“The cocoa industry is collapsing due to land taken for galamsey activities and water bodies being polluted, leading to the purchase of pure water for drinking,” he bemoaned.
“Farmlands are being destroyed, making food items like cassava unsafe to consume,” he added.
In the same vein, Mr. Anane Boateng also criticized the government for the delays in the payment of cocoa proceeds.
For the past three years, cocoa farmers have experienced payment delays.
He claimed that 26 bags of cocoa he sold to produce-buying companies remained unpaid to date.
He pointed out that cocoa beans transported for processing often end up destroyed without any insurance to cover the losses.