The quantum of money usually offered to cocoa farmers by illegal small-scale miners (Galameyers ) is enticing and irresistible to the farmer, the management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has said.
Head of Public Affairs of COCOBOD Stephen Fiifi Boafo told Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise show on 3FM Monday, June 19 that the cocoa farmer may not have seen in his entire life Ghs100,000 or GHS50,000 therefore when they are offered these amounts by the galamseyers, they are tempted to sell their lands without considering the effect of their decision.
Addressing concerns of cocoa farmers selling their lands to illegal miners, Fifi Boafo told Johnnie Hughes that “So day in and day out there are new farms that illegal miners are taking over so the effect is huge. If you look at our production numbers, of course, there are other factors that also affect productivity and then production generally of the country, but if you look at the number of farms we are losing to illegal mining it is a huge effect it has on the cocoa industry
“The farmer who is producing 8 bags at the end of the year is getting GHS8000 so the [galamseyers] comes to the farmer and says I am going you GHS50,000, give me your plot of land and then let me use it for galamsey.
“Someone who is earning GHS8000 at the end of the year considering the effort he has put in and is being offered GHS50,000, it sounds too good to the farmer but he does not pay attention to the effects, that there are other benefits the farmer is realizing.
“For example, you will get plantain from the farm but he is not considering that he gets cocoyam from the farm but he is not taking that into consideration and that the farm is going to last 30 to 35 years. He forgets about all that and takes a decision because it is enticing to see money being offered to you
“Yes, the temptation is there for these farmers to take these decisions but the truth is that if you do the eventual calculation you will realize that it is not the best decision for these farmers to take by giving out their farms for illegal mining.”
He stressed “The temptation is what really drives these farmers to go in for the money but the eventual effect is one that shows that you should not have taken this decision. Yes we agree that farmers, if their situation is improved, if their situation is better, it would help in resisting some of these offers and some of these approaches. It is something that is being worked on.”