COCOBOD Warns of Cocoa Industry Collapse as Galamsey Claims 100,000 Acres of Plantations

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has issued a stark warning that the nation’s cocoa industry is on the brink of collapse due to the relentless spread of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. Samuel Asuman, the Regional Manager of the Western South Cocoa Health and Extension Division of COCOBOD, revealed that more than 100,000 acres of productive cocoa farms have already been decimated by mining activities. This massive loss of farmland is triggering significant production deficits, which in turn are crippling COCOBOD’s financial stability and severely reducing Ghana’s vital foreign exchange earnings. Officials have noted that the destruction of these high-yield plantations poses an existential threat to the sector's long-term viability.

The scale of destruction comes at a particularly difficult time for the agricultural sector. While COCOBOD has been investing heavily in rehabilitation programs to restore diseased and aging farms, these efforts are being systematically undermined as miners move into protected growing areas. According to Mr. Asuman, the ongoing illegal mining activities are undoing significant investments meant to boost national output. Both Mr. Asuman and official Abdul-Majid Mumuni have emphasized that the encroachment of galamsey into cocoa-growing regions is currently the single largest threat facing the industry, far outstripping the challenges posed by natural pests or weather patterns.

Local leaders and stakeholders are making a desperate plea to farmers to resist the lure of quick cash from mining interests. Member of Parliament Robert Wisdom Cudjoe joined COCOBOD officials in urging landholders to view cocoa as a multi-generational investment rather than a disposable asset. The concern is that once topsoil is destroyed by illegal mining chemicals and excavation, the land becomes largely unsuitable for future agricultural use, leaving farming communities without a sustainable livelihood. The narrative from authorities emphasizes that the short-term financial gains offered by illegal miners cannot compensate for the permanent loss of productive soil and the steady income cocoa provides over decades.

Looking forward, the government is reportedly developing more stringent measures and enhanced sanctions to protect cocoa-growing enclaves from further encroachment. With cocoa serving as the backbone of Ghana's agricultural economy and a primary source of employment for millions, the industry's survival is paramount for national economic stability. COCOBOD is exploring new interventions to safeguard its rehabilitation projects and ensure that the sector remains a pillar of the economy. However, officials warn that without immediate and decisive action to curb galamsey, the future of Ghana's primary export remains in serious jeopardy.