A
cocoa
farmer
from
the
Oti
Region
has
taken
a
strong
stand
against
illegal
mining,
also
known
as
galamsey,
declaring
that
he
will
never
use
his
land
for
such
activities.
In
a
video
shared
on
social
media,
the
farmer
explained
his
decision
by
revealing
that
cocoa
farming
is
not
only
more
profitable
but
also
safer
for
the
environment
compared
to
the
destructive
impact
of
galamsey.
The
farmer
revealed
that
the
current
cocoa
pricing
in
Ghana,
which
stands
at
GHS
3,000
per
bag,
is
far
less
lucrative
than
in
neighbouring
Togo,
where
he
can
sell
a
bag
for
GHS
8,000.
He
admitted
that
due
to
the
drastic
price
difference,
he
smuggles
his
cocoa
to
Togo
for
a
higher
profit.
Despite
the
profitability
of
cocoa
in
Togo,
he
expressed
disappointment
in
Ghana’s
pricing
system,
noting
that
the
higher
price
in
Togo
gives
farmers
more
incentive
to
abandon
the
local
market.