Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has begun addressing the issue of cocoa farmers providing their farmlands to illegal small scale miners whose activities are having adverse effects on the environment.

It recently emerged that illegal small-scale mining activities have been taking place on cocoa farms with the knowledge of farmers.

Some farmers are now encouraging illegal mining, also known as galamsey, due to the incredibly high profits they are making as compared to what they receive when they harvest their cocoa.

According to reports, others are selling their farms for between GH¢10,000 and GH¢25,000 due to external forces.

Speaking to the media, Director of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, said a sensitization programme is ongoing to encourage farmers to reach out to COCOBOD for legal representation when their lands are being sought after.

“There are some traditional authorities who are actually aiding this because they tell farmers they are owners of the land, so it should be given back to them because they [chiefs] are being enticed by illegal miners. So they want to get the money quickly and eject these people from the land.

The farmers do not want to give out these farms but with their level of exposure to go to court and resources not available to them, they are handicapped. That is why they give in. Our sensitization is ongoing, and I think that it has helped with that realization that this is not the way to go. We are also giving the farmers legal representation when they fall on us for support,” he revealed.

There have been reports that the price of cocoa is discouraging farmers from engaging in agriculture production, thereby wanting to engage in illegal mining.

In response, Fiifi Boafo says such challenges are not extreme enough to push farmers into leasing their farmlands.

He explained that “I do not believe in the idea that based on economies of scale, that is why the farmers are giving out their farms. Sometimes it is out of ignorance and the wish to get things immediately without thinking about the effects of it”,

Mr Boafo, however, admitted that the remuneration for cocoa farmers can be improved.

Government recently increased the producer price for cocoa beans by 21% to GH¢800 for the 2022/2023 cocoa crop season.

The new pricing regime will take effect from Friday, October 7, 2022.

Until the announcement, a bag of cocoa was selling for GH¢660 in Ghana.

While revealing the new price, Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said the cedi depreciation against the dollar prevented the government from increasing the figure beyond 21%.

Meanwhile, to ensure farmers do not give out their farmlands to illegal small-scale miners, COCOBOD is sponsoring a law to take into consideration what actually goes into the farm and the true value of the portion of land.

Government has pledged to continue implementing initiatives to build a robust, resilient, and sustainable cocoa industry where cocoa farmers and their communities will thrive.

Source: The Independent Ghana