COCOA OFFICER INDICATE WAYS GALAMSEY HAS AFFECTED GHANA’S COCOA INDUSTRY

District Cocoa Officer for Cocoa Health and Extension Division under COCOBOD, Bibiani District, OSMAN DAWUDA has indicated disadvantages of illegal mining (galamsey).

Speaking on Oman No Adwuma show hosted by AkuapemHann, he stated that it destroys land and cocoa farms and sometimes destroy roads to our farms.

Mr Osman lamented about the effects of chemicals like cyanide, mercury used by illegal miners on our lands.

He observed that people sell their cocoa farms to galamseyers and because of quick money people prefer galamsey to farm work hence causing labour scarcity while the activity destroys our water bodies making the work laborious because a farmer has to fetch pipe borne water to spray his cocoa.

Activities of galamsey has contributed to the reduction of Ghana’s cocoa production, he noted.

District Extension Coordinator, AGUDEY ARMAH reiterated that unlike illegal mining cocoa farming business is lucrative and benefits more people therefore we should discourage the galamsey activity.