Galamsey: Fair cocoa prices will stop farmers from selling cocoa lands – Dumelo

Deputy Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has raised concerns over cocoa farmers increasingly selling their lands to illegal miners due to low cocoa prices.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on February 25, Dumelo attributed this trend to farmers’ struggles to sustain their livelihoods.

He urged the government to offer competitive cocoa prices to discourage farmers from abandoning agriculture for mining. Additionally, he called for stricter regulations in the mining sector to prevent further damage to cocoa farms.

Dumelo emphasized that while restructuring mining is essential, ensuring fair cocoa pricing remains the key solution to preserving farmlands and sustaining the industry.