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John Dumelo, the Deputy Minister-Designate for Food and Agriculture, has emphasized the pressing need for higher cocoa prices in order to deter farmers from renting out their land to illegal miners.
The lawmaker from Ayawaso West Wuogon brought attention to a concerning trend during his appearance before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, February 25, 2025: cocoa farmers are giving up their farmlands to illicit small-scale miners in exchange for large quantities of money.
Dumelo said that the low prices for cocoa in Ghana were the cause of this rising problem and that giving farmers greater prices would encourage them to safeguard their crops instead of turning to profitable but environmentally damaging mining agreements.
“Giving cocoa farmers the right price will deter them from selling their cocoa farms,” he emphasized that keeping farmlands for agricultural use requires that they receive just pay for their produce.
In order to lessen the detrimental effects of mining on the nation’s cocoa business, Dumelo also advocated for more controls in this area.
“The second one is also to restructure or structure the whole mining industry well so that wherever they mine, it wouldn’t be able to affect these cocoa farms. But I think that the main one is about pricing,” he stated.
The destructive impacts of illegal mining, often known as “galamsey,” on farmlands, waterways, and the environment have made it a significant issue in Ghana.
Agriculture industry stakeholders have long expressed concern about how it may affect the production of cocoa, which is still one of the most important exports from the nation.
Dumelo’s comments support increasing calls for government action to enact stronger regulations to safeguard farmlands from the intrusion of illicit miners and guarantee that cocoa growers receive just compensation for their produce.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
