Why cocoa farmers are 'ditching' business, selling their lands to illegal miners

Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, remains a canker in the country. Although previous governments have attempted to address the issue, the problem persists.

The John Mahama administration has now declared war against individuals engaged in illegal mining.

The activities of galamseyers have destroyed many farmlands across the country.

In an interview with the Co-Coordinator of the Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP), Obed Owusu-Addai, a deeper insight into the situation revealed that some farmers are willingly leasing their lands to illegal miners.

Owusu-Addai explained that these troubling decisions by farmers are largely due to poor incentives within the cocoa sector.

As a result of this gap, he said farmers are enticed by the money offered by galamseyers and choose immediate financial rewards over the long-term benefits of farming.

“Our conversations and studies show that some farmers and I have been on the field to visit some of these farms willingly give out their lands. The main issue is that they are not incentivized to retain them,” he stated.

“We try, in all our meetings and engagements with farmers, to motivate them to hold on to their farms and not be tempted to sell or lease their lands. The long-term gains from the cocoa sector outweigh the short-term benefits they receive from illegal mining,” he added.

To help address this challenge, he said the GCCP organises stakeholder engagements with farmers to educate and sensitize them on the importance of preserving their lands.

Despite these efforts, Owusu-Addai emphasised that the primary responsibility lies with COCOBOD to make cocoa farming more attractive and profitable for farmers.

According to him, under the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 (PNDCL 81), COCOBOD is mandated to manage, protect, and defend the cocoa sector.

“It is their responsibility to protect farmers and not sit back while their lands are taken over by illegal miners,” the GCCP Co-Coordinator told GhanaWeb Business in an exclusive interview.

The Ghana Cocoa Board Act (PNDCL 81) established COCOBOD as a corporate body, replacing the former Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board.

Some of COCOBOD’s core mandates include encouraging cocoa production and regulating its marketing and export.

SA/MA

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