Cocoa farmers in Segyimase in the Abuakwa South Municipality and Osino in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region have blamed the continuous indiscriminate illegal mining activities, aka ‘galamsey,’ for the decline in cocoa production in the country.

They also pointed to the forceful takeover of cocoa plantations by these miners as a significant factor contributing to this decline.

In interviews with the media, some farmers revealed that poverty and lack of government support drove them to sell their cocoa plantations to illegal miners. 

Eno Lawrencia Akufo shared her distressing experience of losing her cocoa plantation after her son sold it to illegal miners while she was away for a medical check-up.

Opanyin Emmanuel Takyi, an opinion leader and former assemblyman for Segyimase, described how illegal mining activities have affected a total of 18 acres of his cocoa farms at three different locations. He highlighted the devastating impact on local agriculture and livelihoods.

Ghana's cocoa output for the 2023/24 season is expected to be almost 40% below the target of 820,000 metric tonnes, despite global cocoa prices reaching US$10,000 per tonne this year. 

In the first four months of 2024, Ghana’s trade balance narrowed as cocoa exports dropped, with cocoa output falling by about 50% year-on-year.

The situation in Osino in the Fanteakwa South District mirrors that of Segyimase, with approximately 40 to 50 per cent of cocoa plantations sold to illegal miners, and around 70 per cent lost to mining activities. 

According to reports, an area once covered in cocoa plantations along the main Accra-Kumasi Highway found illegal miners actively working, digging deep pits next to ECG poles and transmission lines, leaving them uncovered just 10 meters from the main highway.

In 2022, the leadership of the Ghana National Small Scale Miners Association demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in mining near the Accra-Kumasi Highway during a working visit to the same spot. 

However, a year later, the situation worsened, with illegal miners having excavated the entire area, including beneath electricity poles, leaving them precariously hanging.