Workers at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have called on government and relevant authorities to prosecute illegal miners.

According to the workers, the miners have destroyed most of the lands in cocoa-growing areas in the country.

They say the practice is hampering cocoa production and costing the country millions of dollars in revenue every year.

Workers' Representative on the Board of Directors at Cocobod, Edward Ampofo believes that if the menace is not properly dealt with, cocoa production outputs could hit an all-time low.

"The issue of the cocoa industry is becoming bleak as a result of the issue of activities of this galamsey," he said.

Mr Ampofo recounted the recent securing of a $600m facility to rehabilitate some 600,000 hectares of farmland affected by swollen shoot diseases.

He narrated that after a successful program, illegal miners desecrated the land for mineral resources, derailing the progress made.

"Galamsey people went back and uprooted the cocoa that we had replanted... this cocoa that we have paid compensation to farmers to replant," he added.