The General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has revealed that addressing illegal mining - galamsey - is a top priority in discussions with political leaders aspiring to govern the country.

Edward Karaweh highlighted the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture, noting that expected seasonal reductions in food prices have not materialised due to delayed or insufficient rainfall.

He told Evans Mensah on Joy News' PM Express that the consequences of climate change, combined with local actions, particularly illegal mining, are devastating.

Read also: ‘Reclamation of environment from ravages of galamsey must be our top priority’ – Asantehene

"People think that climate change is a Western problem, but we are feeling its effects too. Why aren’t we harvesting enough? It’s not just the rains; our lands are destroyed.

"The persistent destruction of land by galamsey without reclamation has a lasting impact, much like the aftermath of a fire," he explained on Wednesday.

He stated that the widespread involvement in illegal mining, with 13 out of 16 regions actively engaged, poses a significant threat to agriculture.

"Illegal mining has become the number one threat to agriculture, making the future look bleak," Karaweh warned.

Mr Karaweh criticised political parties for not clearly articulating their strategies to combat illegal mining.

Read also: Galamsey Fight: Provide alternative livelihood and make it unattractive – Mining Expert

"We’ve demanded clear plans from political parties on how they will address galamsey. With such extensive land degradation, how can we build irrigation dams when our rivers are destroyed? Any river dammed today would yield polluted water unsuitable for agriculture," he stated.

He also expressed concerns that the effects of climate change would hit Ghana harder than other countries due to the extensive damage caused by illegal mining.

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The GAWU General Secretary noted that neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso are advancing their agricultural irrigation and will soon cease exporting food crops, focusing instead on processing them domestically.

"The impact of climate change, combined with illegal mining activities, will severely affect Ghana’s agricultural sector," Mr Karaweh concluded.