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Cocoa farmers and other peasant farmers in Kukurantumi, Abuakwa North Municipality, Eastern Region, have made an appeal to Cocobod and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to intervene and put a stop to the indiscriminate sale of cocoa plantations to estate developers.
The residents and farmers are aggrieved, alleging that traditional leaders in the area are forcibly taking away several hectares of cocoa farms and other plantations from them. They have expressed their readiness to take matters into their own hands if the government and the relevant authorities do not step in.
Following a demonstration by hundreds of Kukurantumi residents accusing traditional leaders of selling their farmlands indiscriminately, the encroachments temporarily ceased. However, new developers have now started invading their farmlands, leading to confrontations between landowners and buyers.
The affected farmers are determined to resist any attempts to forcefully take their lands and have gathered at the palace of the Dwumana clan to voice their grievances.
Opanyin Kojo Owusu Ansah, representing the affected farmers, called on MoFA and Cocobod to intervene and protect cocoa production. Nana Afoakwa Kyerewaa I of the Dwumana Clan expressed concern that this issue is having a detrimental impact on the government’s “planting for food and jobs” policy.
Source: omanghana.com
