Cocoa farmers in Segyimase and Osino, within the Eastern Region, are blaming rampant illegal mining activities, known locally as ‘galamsey,’ for the significant decline in cocoa production.
The destructive mining practices and forcible takeover of cocoa plantations by miners have severely impacted the industry.
In an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV, farmers cited poverty and lack of government support as primary reasons for selling their plantations to illegal miners. Eno Lawrencia Akufo recounted how she lost her plantation after her son sold it while she was away for medical treatment. Opanyin Emmanuel Takyi, a local leader and former assemblyman, revealed that 18 acres of his cocoa farms across three locations have been devastated by illegal mining activities.
Ghana’s cocoa output for the 2023/24 season is projected to be almost 40% below the target of 820,000 metric tonnes, despite global cocoa prices reaching US$ 10,000 per tonne. The country’s trade balance narrowed in the first four months of 2024 due to a 50% year-on-year drop in cocoa exports.
In Osino, the situation mirrors that of Segyimase, with 40-50% of cocoa plantations sold to illegal miners, resulting in a 70% loss of cocoa farms to mining activities. A visit by the news team to a former cocoa plantation site along the main Accra-Kumasi Highway revealed miners actively working, with deep pits dug dangerously close to ECG poles and transmission lines.
Despite calls for action by the Ghana National Small Scale Miners Association in 2022, the situation has deteriorated further. Illegal mining has now extended under electricity poles, leaving them precariously hanging and posing significant safety risks.
