Adnan Adams Mohammed
Over the years, Ghana’s cocoa sector is faced with challenges which is evident in the cocoa bean production.
Among the factors causing the challenge is the influx of illegal miners who are destroying cocoa farms, delay in fertilizer supply to farmers, delayed rehabilitation of old cocoa trees among others.
These situation threatens that, Ghana could lose its enviable position as the second leading cocoa producer in the world if stringent measures are not taken to protect cocoa farms from illegal mining activities.
Ghana is currently the second leading producer of cocoa in the world after Ivory Coast. Ghana also produces the world’s premium cocoa beans, making the commodity from the country the best preferred.
However, the General Secretary of GAWU, Edward Kareweh has noted that, other countries are making strong efforts to overtake Ghana in cocoa production by developing sustainable environmental practices.
He stated that more farmers are abandoning their farms due to the level of water pollution in farm areas.
“It’s no more lucrative to be in cocoa production. There are many factors which are real. Even the cocoa farmers who are patriotic and insist that they will not sell their farms and stay with their farms are forced to sell them out”.
He disclosed that while government looks on unconcern, illegal miners are forcibly ceasing cocoa farms with impunity for mining.
Mr. Kareweh said contaminated water bodies are diverted to cocoa farms, destroying the plants.
“The illegal miners will flood your farms with all the dirty water and will take your farm by force. You cannot even enter the farm again. It is so pathetic and heartbreaking that we can sit down and allow such a monumental criminal act to continue. This crime is against generations to come”.
Sounding distressed, Mr. Kareweh said it is a matter of time for Ghana to lose its production capacity and long good will as the country with the premium cocoa beans.
It is therefore imminent that, the president shows a personal interest in the current situation and come down to the level of the farmers to acquaint himself to the realities of the factors causing the challenges, so as to proffer pragmatic and nationalistic solutions.
According to data from statistica.com; in 2024, the contribution from the cocoa sector to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to experience a rise by three percent.
In 2021, the growth rate was registered at 10.4 percent. Moreover, the cocoa sector’s contribution to the GDP has been projected to grow by five percent in 2027.
In 2023, cocoa in Ghana was forecast to contribute GHC3.15 billion, around US$262.8 million, to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The value was measured at GHC3.1 billion (roughly US$258.6 million) in 2021.
Also, the agricultural product was expected to account for GHC3.75 billion (around US$312.9 million) of the country’s GDP by 2027, the highest contribution within the period observed.
Meanwhile, in 2021/2022 crop season, an estimated 689,000 metric tons of cocoa beans were produced in Ghana.
These are significant contribution to the Ghanaian economy.
