Cashew production plays a significant role in Ghana’s economy, particularly in rural development and export revenues.
The cashew sector employs over 200,000 Ghanaians, mostly in rural areas. This contributes significantly to poverty alleviation and improving livelihoods in these regions.
However, in recent times, the alarming rise 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 in the Bono region have encroached some cashew production areas in Wenchi Municipality and Banda District, with their activities causing significant damage to cashew farms, water-bodies and other agricultural lands.
Communities such as Branam, Amponsakrom and Atuna in the Wenchi municipality, alongside Bandaboase, Surubokrom, Nipanikrom and ‘Operator’ in the Banda district are currently bearing the brunt of these unregulated mining.
The Bono Region stands out as a major producer in Ghana’s production. However, farmers in the region, like their peers in other cashew-producing areas of the country, currently face significant challenges, include perennial bush-burning, limited access to financing for farm maintenance, skyrocketing costs of inputs and labour and price fluctuations.
Speaking to the media about the menace, a representative of cashew farmers on the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) board, Mr. Joseph Alexander Bonsu, expressed worry over the extensive destruction of cashew farms in affected communities over the past year.
He remarked that “all stakeholders must unite to find a lasting solution”.
Mr. Bonsu again 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 noted.
For his part, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, National Coordinator -Cashew Watch Ghana, called for an 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 additionally called on 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.
In 2023, cashew exports generated approximately $300 million, making it one of Ghana’s leading non-traditional export commodities.
Ghana’s 10-year Cashew Development Plan aims to boost cashew export revenues from $243 million in 2019 to $1 billion by 2027, highlighting the sector’s potential for economic transformation. But with the present illegal mining crisis looming in, Ghana may never be able to produce enough cashew for exports, which could significantly affect farmers and the economy at large.
Reporting by Stephen Freeman, Accra
