Cocoa is a key export commodity for Ghana
The Mankurom Cocoa Cooperative Farmers Association has expressed their concern about the destruction of over 100,000 acres of cocoa farms in the area due to illegal mining (galamsey) operations.
They are seriously worried about the devastating effects of galamsey in cocoa-growing areas, where farmlands are being severely damaged in the search for gold, as reported by citinewsroom.com.
The president of the Mankurom Cocoa Cooperative Farmers Association, during an interview with Citi News, called for immediate government intervention to halt illegal mining activities and protect the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
He suggested that the government should declare a state of emergency in galamsey areas and stop all illegal mining activities.
“So, I believe that going forward the 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” the president stated.
He also emphasised the need for action, stating that if illegal mining continues unchecked, lives and properties will continue to be affected.
“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,” he stressed.
The Association’s president criticised the government's rebranding of illegal mining as "community mining," highlighting that the activities of these miners remain detrimental to the environment and local communities.
“Now, even the government has changed the name and made it community mining. What is community mining? They are doing exactly what the illegal miners are doing,” the president lamented.
RAD/MA
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