File photo of cashew trees
The alarming surge of illegal mining, known locally as ‘galamsey’, has begun to devastate cashew farms in Bono Region – posing threats to the sustainability of cashew production and livelihoods of many farmers.
Illegal miners, including nationals from China, have invaded key cashew production areas in Wenchi municipality and Banda district. Their activities are causing significant destruction to cashew farms, water bodies and agricultural lands.
Communities such as Branam, Amponsakrom and Atuna in the Wenchi municipality, alongside Bandaboase, Surubokrom, Nipanikrom and ‘Operator’ in the Banda district, are under siege. The unscrupulous gold miners operate with alarming impunity, which directly threatens the primary income source for local cashew residents including farmers and aggregators.
Farmers succumb to pressure
Sources reveal that armed illegal miners threaten many farmers, prompting them to reluctantly lease their cashew farms for galamsey operations.
Others surrender their farms voluntarily, hoping to raise much-needed funds to address pressing financial challenges. This troubling trend underscores the desperate measures farmers are taking to protect themselves and their livelihoods amid an escalating crisis.
The crisis mirrors trends in cocoa-producing regions such as Ashanti, Eastern, Western-North and Western. Increasingly, some cocoa farmers in these areas are yielding to pressure and leasing their farms to illegal miners – contributing to the decline in Ghana’s cocoa production and endangering the industry’s sustainability.
Cashew production
Bono Region stands out as a key player in the country’scashew production. However, farmers in the region, like their peers in other cashew-producing areas of the country, currently face significant challenges. These challenges include perennial bush-burning, limited access to financing for farm maintenance, skyrocketing costs of inputs and labour and price fluctuations.
It is feared that if the illegal mining activities are not curbed farmers could face greater hardships, threatening their livelihoods and the region’s agricultural output.
Ghana is ranked among the world’s top producers and exporters of cashew nuts, a feat bolstered by its high-quality raw cashew nuts (RCNs). According to data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the country currently produces approximately 200,000 metric tonnes of RCNs.
However, Ghana’s exports exceed this figure due to the influx of RCNs from neighbouring countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) reports that cashew nut exports generated over US$347million in 2023.
Need for action
Mr. Joseph Alexander Bonsu, a representative of cashew farmers on the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) board, expressed deep concern about the extensive destruction of cashew farms in affected communities over the past year.
He noted that “all stakeholders must unite to find a lasting solution”.
He highlighted a troubling trend in which young people of the affected areas increasingly choose illegal mining over cashew farming or working as farmhands.
“This shift poses a significant threat to sustainable cashew production. I urge government and local chiefs to collaborate in eradicating illegal mining activities to protect both the cashew industry and the environment,” he added.
On his part, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, National Coordinator -Cashew Watch Ghana, called for immediate action. “The impact of galamsey on the cashew sector is getting alarming and demands urgent attention to protect the industry and sustain its contribution to our nation’s economic growth.”
Mr. Ahenu further urged government and stakeholders to take decisive measures against illegal mining.
“We need strict enforcement of mining regulations and enhanced support for sustainable agricultural practices. Safeguarding the cashew sector is essential not only for economic stability but also environmental sustainability and the well-being of communities that rely on cashew farming,” he said.