Deputy Minister-Designate for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has advocated for improved cocoa pricing to prevent farmers from surrendering their farmlands to illegal miners.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the Ayawaso West Wuogon legislator expressed concern over the increasing trend of cocoa farmers leasing their lands to illegal small-scale miners for large sums of money.
He attributed the situation to the low prices offered for cocoa in Ghana, arguing that providing farmers with fair pricing would serve as a strong incentive to retain their farms instead of opting for short-term financial gains through mining.
“Giving cocoa farmers the right price will deter them from selling their cocoa farms,” he stressed.
Dumelo also advocated for tighter regulations in the mining sector to mitigate its adverse impact on cocoa production.
“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 added.
Illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey’, continues to pose a serious threat to Ghana’s farmlands, water bodies, and overall environmental sustainability.
Agricultural stakeholders have repeatedly warned about the devastating effects of illegal mining on cocoa production, which remains one of Ghana’s key exports.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
