Cocoa farmers at Onaa in the Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region are appealing to the government to intervene as large portions of their farmla
Cocoa farmers at Onaa in the Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region are appealing to the government to intervene as large portions of their farmlands are being cleared for an alleged real estate development project.
According to the farmers, hundreds of hectares of productive cocoa farms have already been marked with concrete pillars for demolition. They say the move threatens their livelihoods and the future of cocoa production in the area.
One of the affected farmers, Yaw Thomas, who owns 35 acres of cocoa plantation, noted that Onaa is the second-largest cocoa-producing community in the Ashanti Region.
“We are calling on government and COCOBOD to act under the Economic Plant Protection Act of 1979 to stop this private developer from destroying our cocoa for real estate,” he said. He added that the farmers have inherited and cultivated these lands for more than four centuries.
“Onaa is a rural farming community. What economic benefit will come from building estates in the bush? Cocoa is our only source of livelihood,” he lamented.
The President of the Concerned Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana, Nana Obodie Boateng Bonsu II, who visited the community, called for urgent government action, including the deployment of security to prevent further destruction.
“Cocoa production is already declining due to illegal mining. Why should we again allow hectares of cocoa to be destroyed in one of Ashanti’s biggest producing areas? We will not accept it,” he stressed.
He further urged Parliament to strengthen laws protecting cocoa trees from indiscriminate destruction.
“We will use the law to stop any private developer involved in this,” he added.