Over 70% of Cocoa Farm’s Destroyed By Galamseyers In Western Region- Chief Cries Out(Drone Pictures)
Filasco DeGeneral
Over 70% of Cocoa Farm’s Destroyed By Galamseyers In Western Region- Chief Cries Out(Drone Pictures)
The Chief of Wassa Dikoto of the Western region, Nana Ntiakoh Agyiri ll has expressed concern with the number of lands cocoa farmers are giving off for illegal mining activities.
Speaking to press men, the Chief realized that what used to be arable land has now become a scene of devastation.
The Chief expressed worry over galamsey operators for taking over all cocoa growing communities in Wessa Amenfi East Municipal and are clandestinely destroying their farms in the area.
The Chief told Nana Kwame Boah, a journalist that, over 70% of lands marked for cocoa production have completely destroyed by the activities of the illegal miners.
But in a bid to reverse the alarming rate of forest depletion of the affected lands, the Chief has hinted to collaborate with investors from India to roll out a massive reclamation initiative to ensure the restoration of degraded lands to their previous state.
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He said, the roll-out will be targeted at Cocoa lands that have been degraded as a result of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
One way would be by turning the abandoned sites into oil palm plantations.
He however debunked claims by some community members that, he is collaborating with Indian nationals to cut down cocoa trees for palm plantation.
Nana Ntiakoh Agyiri ll stated that, the measures formed part of his plans to ensure that abandoned pits were reclaimed and planted with oil palm seedlings.
Meanwhile, he has appealed to the Forestry Commission, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the government to collaborate and reclaim all the lands that have been destroyed due to illegal small-scale mining to help improve the ecosystem.
He said illegal small-scale mining was a threat to sustainable development in the country as it posed serious environmental health issues, and thus, must be checked before it destroyed the entire community.
To this end, the Queen mother of Fameyekrom and Nana Larbi, the chief of Boraso all a suburb of Dikoto community are optimistic that the reclamation initiative will ensure the restoration of degraded lands to their previous state.
According to the Queen mother, the oil palm plantation will serve as an alternative livelihood project for youth who are being stopped from engaging in illegal mining .
PICTURES of the Cocoa Farms Being Destroyed By the Illegal miners
SOURCE: Kaakyire Kwasi Afari/Filasconews.com/202
