Chamber of Agribusiness to hold 'demo' over Galamsey crisis

Accra, Ghana - September 10, 2024 - Ghana's agricultural sector is on the brink of collapse as illegal mining activities continue to devastate farmlands, with over 1.2 million hectares already destroyed.

The Chamber of Agribusiness has sounded the alarm, warning of catastrophic consequences for the country's food security and economy.

According to Anthony Morrison, CEO of the Chamber, the government's inaction has emboldened illegal miners, who are ravaging agricultural lands in pursuit of gold.

Morrison voiced his exasperation in an interview with Citi Business News, lamenting that illegal miners persist in destroying the land in their quest for valuable resources, including gold, despite the Chamber's numerous pleas for action.

“People’s investments have gone down the drain as a result of activities of illegal mining and galamsey actors. It is a call that we are working on this week. We intend to follow up with a press release and, after that, follow it up with a demonstration among the farmer front and agribusiness front. We are losing quite a lot,” he said.

Despite repeated complaints, the destruction continues unabated, sparking fears among investors and farmers.

The Chamber has announced plans to stage a demonstration and petition international bodies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, to pressure the government into taking immediate action.

Morrison warned that failure to address the crisis could lead to a ban on Ghana's agricultural exports, as European countries and other destinations impose safeguard measures to prevent contaminated products from entering their markets.

“If there can be an immediate stop to the issues of galamsey because there are a lot of people whose prospective investors are on the ice as a result of galamsey going on in identified zones where they ought to be doing their investment,” Anthony Morrison stated.

The situation has reached a boiling point, with the Chamber urging the government to take swift and decisive action to protect the country's agricultural sector and ensure food security for future generations.

Source : Florence Kyei / Lead News Online