Farmers Raise Red Flag Over Potential Destruction of Cocoa Farms in Juaben Municipality
Cocoa farmers in Onaa have raised the alarm over plans to clear large swathes of cocoa farmland for a real estate project, urging government intervention to protect their livelihoods. The farmers claim that the local chief has authorized the destruction of cocoa farms, a move they say would have devastating socio-economic consequences for families in the community.
According to the affected farmers, hundreds of hectares of cocoa plantations have been marked with pillars for demolition. Opanin Owusu Koko, Abusuapanin of Onaa and owner of thirty acres of cocoa farms, said Onaa is the second-largest cocoa-producing community in the Ashanti Region. He questioned the fairness of clearing these farmlands for construction, emphasizing that cocoa cultivation is the main source of income for many families.
“These farms have been inherited from our forefathers. Government intervention is necessary under the Economic Plant Protection Act of 1979 to stop any private developer from cutting down our cocoa trees,” Opanin Koko stated. He expressed disbelief that a community heavily reliant on cocoa could see its economic backbone destroyed for a project whose benefits to locals remain unclear.
Nana Oboadie Boateng, President of Concerned Farmers Ghana and Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Farmers and Fishermen’s Association, also expressed serious concern. He warned that destroying cocoa farms, allegedly for real estate development or illegal mining, could undermine national cocoa production and disrupt the local economy.
“Cocoa production has already faced challenges due to galamsey activities. Allowing the clearance of farms in Onaa—the second-largest cocoa-producing area in the Ashanti Region—would be catastrophic,” Nana Oboadie Boateng said. He called on the government and COCOBOD to deploy security taskforces to protect the farms and urged Parliament to strengthen laws safeguarding cocoa trees from indiscriminate destruction.
The farmers, visibly worried about their future, stressed that cocoa cultivation is central to the community’s identity and survival. Opanin Koko said, “Onaa is a total village. What income can be derived from constructing real estate here? Cocoa is our livelihood, and the government must step in to save it.”
As the situation unfolds, cocoa farmers in Juaben Municipality remain determined to defend their lands, highlighting the urgent need for government action to preserve Ghana’s cocoa industry and support the communities that depend on it.
source: Benjamin Aidoo
