The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has highlighted the persistent challenges facing Ghana’s cocoa sector, stressing that there are no immediate solutions in sight. 

The union expressed concern over a potential decline in cocoa revenue by the end of 2024, noting a significant drop of $500 million in Ghana's first-quarter cocoa earnings.

In an interview with Citi FM, Edward Kareweh, the General Secretary of GAWU, underscored the urgency for government intervention despite the bleak outlook. 

He emphasised the need to crack-down on illegal small-scale mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, to prevent further harm to the cocoa industry in the future.

Mr Kareweh stressed that while the current situation presents daunting challenges, proactive measures to curb illegal mining activities are essential. 

He urged the government to prioritize effective enforcement of regulations to safeguard Ghana’s cocoa sector from irreversible damage and ensure sustainable revenue generation.

“We just need to appreciate that there is no immediate solution in terms of reversing the negative impact of the galamsey on our economy and then on cocoa production from now until the end of the year. In fact, even if we stop galamsey today, it will take us a number of years to be able to reverse the harm that it has caused our environment."

“We need to do some reclaiming of the land. We need to rejuvenate the forest. We need to try and purify the rivers. And that will also take a long time. So we don’t have immediate solutions."

“But then if we don’t start now, we will never be able to have the solutions. So we must start now to deal with all these negative factors again," he said.