It explained that COCOBOD was not against mining of gold and other minerals but rather against illegal mining activities that affect cocoa production, which was against the laws of the country.

The Head of Illegal Mining Desk ‘galamsey’ office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the COCOBOD, Professor Mi­chael Kwarteng, gave the assurance when he addressed cocoa farmers in the Akpafu Traditional Area at Akpafu-Odomi in the Guan District of the Oti Region over the weekend.

His comments come on the back of a petition received from the farmers who asked COCOBOD to help protect their cocoa farms against illegal exploration towards mining of iron ore in the area.

Prof. Kwarteng said cocoa and gold were the major economic strength of the country, therefore, any attempt to destroy cocoa farms to pave the way for mining would not be allowed, because both resources played an important role in the economic development of the country.

According to him, COCOBOD had been educating cocoa farmers on the Economic Plant Protection (EPP) Act 1979 Article 47, which prohibited the destruction of eco­nomic trees including cocoa.

He said COCOBOD had re­ceived a number of petitions from cocoa farmers in the Central, West­ern, Ashanti, Western-North and the Oti regions for COCOBOD to help prevent illegal miners from destroying their cocoa farms, and announced that some of the cases were before the courts.

Prof. Kwarteng said the desk was working hard to protect cocoa farmers, and also to restore ownership of cocoa farms, which were forcefully taken from them through intimidation by illegal mining operators, in their respec­tive regions.

He assured cocoa farmers at Akpafu that COCOBOD would investigate their concerns and en­sure that their farms were protect­ed against illegal mining activities to increase cocoa production in the country, and called on illegal miners to distance themselves from cocoa farms to avoid facing the full rigour of the law.

The Head of the Illegal Mining Desk of COCOBOD announced that enhancement programmes for cocoa farmers were being carried out for cocoa farming to become more attractive to them, which would definitely remove intimida­tors from cocoa farming areas in the country.

He stressed that as part of the enhancement programme for cocoa farmers, regular education on modern farming practices were carried out and the price of cocoa would also be increased to motivate farmers, and added that farmers had supported COCO­BOD to protect their interest.

The Adontenhene of Akpafu Traditional Area, Nana Tetteh Attu, thanked COCOBOD for the swift response to the petition and the assurance given to protect cocoa farms because if explora­tion for iron ore was allowed and mining activities started, it would destroy cocoa farms in the area.

Nana Attu explained that cocoa and food crop farming were the main economic activities of the people and if mining of iron ore was allowed, it would destroy cocoa farms and food crops, which would deprive the people of their livelihood.