Low increment in cocoa prices is a calculated plan to grow galamsey – NPP Harry Ogyaba
An outspoken member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Harry Ogyaba, has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of masterminding a deliberate underpayment strategy for cocoa farmers, calling it a “calculated plan to grow galamsey.”
The NPP spokesperson speaking on Kessben FM’s Democracy political show argued that by keeping prices artificially low, the government is indirectly coercing farmers into selling their lands to galamsey operators.
This claim gains weight amid reports such as those cited by the NDC, highlighting how some struggling farmers, denied fair cocoa returns, have turned to illegal mining out of desperation
These concerns are mirrored across the political aisle. The Minority Caucus in Parliament has been vocal in demanding an immediate revision of prices. T
hey emphasize that a price of GH₵6,000 per bag, pledged during the 2024 campaign, would help deter smuggling and environmental degradation by making cocoa farming economically viable.
Illegal mining has wreaked havoc on Ghana’s ecology, destroying cocoa farmlands, polluting rivers, and endangering communities.
Multiple voices have now drawn a clear linkage between economic neglect of farmers and environmental collapse.
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