The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has painted a gloomy picture of the potential loss of Ghana’s premium position in the international cocoa market due to activities of illegal mining.

In an interview on The Point of View with Bernard Avle, Prof. Michael Kwarteng, Director of the Anti-Corruption Galamsey Unit of COCOBOD, lamented the adverse impact of illegal mining, otherwise known as “galamsey,” on cocoa production.

His comments follow a warning by the former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kokofu, regarding a potential embargo on Ghana’s cocoa bean exports to the global market due to escalating activities of illegal miners.

“Per what we’re seeing, if nothing is done to stop this act [illegal mining], we may lose even our position as the number one premium cocoa. In terms of quality, we all know that, in the whole world, Ghana’s cocoa is the best. If we continue to this, then we’re going to lose that, the quality of our cocoa beans is going to be affected seriously.”

“I know our Cocoa Research Institute is researching that, and I’m sure they will come out with their findings. But per what we’re all seeing, we stand the risk of losing, so he’s right.”

Commenting on the EU’s report of a possible ban on Ghana over cocoa grown on deforested land, he called for an assessment of the benefits of cocoa to Ghanaian citizens.

“I think we have not realized the benefits we’re getting from cocoa production as a nation. COCOBOD is doing so much, cocoa production is offering us employment, even road construction. Our cocoa farmers rely on cocoa for their livelihoods. I think that as a nation, we should begin to assess the importance of cocoa production,” he opined.

Prof Kwarteng lamented the struggles cocoa farmers go through in obtaining water for irrigation on their farms as most water bodies have been polluted.

“There’s no way we can put cocoa aside and concentrate on the minerals. All our water bodies are going, now for farmers to get water to nurse their crops is even difficult, some buy sachet water and take it to the farms.”

Ghana has experienced the lowest cocoa production in the past 10 years.