By: Deborah Amewoyi
Deputy minister for food and agriculture designate, John Dumelo has expressed dissatisfaction with farmers trading their cocoa farms to illegal miners for a better source of income.
During his vetting in parliament yesterday, February 25,2025 the Food and Agriculture minister designate stressed on the fact that paying cocoa farmers enough for what they produce will prevent them from selling their cocoa farms to mining companies. “giving the cocoa farmers the right price will deter them from selling their cocoa farms” he stated.
This statement comes at the back of the Food and Agriculture minister, Eric Opoku’s statement on increasing the price of cocoa to seventy percent on the world market.
Additionally, the deputy minister designate seeks to propose a restructuring of the mining industry in order not to interfere with the agricultural industry. ” the second is also to restructure or structure the whole mining industry well so that wherever they mine, they will not be able to affect these cocoa farmers” he suggested.
The illegal mining menace which has now become rampant in Ghana has seen cocoa farmers sell or convert their cocoa farms into mining sites terribly destroying the land and its produce.
John Dumelo believes that fair cocoa prices will motivate farmers hence deter them for selling out their lands off to miners.
