The Managing Director of Solidaridad West Africa, Mr Isaac Gyamfi, has called for concerted efforts to tackle the threat posed to the nation’s cocoa production by illegal gold mining.

He said the danger was real and must never be under-estimated, adding that, decisive action must be taken to deal with it. Solidaridad is an international non-governmental organization (NGO), engaged in the training of farmer groups in six countries in the sub-region, to increase agriculture production.

Mr Gyamfi said the situation where cocoa trees were being cut down to make way for the digging of the precious mineral, undoubtedly would hurt production levels. He was speaking at a farmers’ forum held at Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North District, by “Kookoopa”, a farmers’ association.

He said the nation would pay the cost for the disturbing degradation of the vegetation. Mr Gyamfi advised the farmers to adopt improved farming practices to raise crop yields and returns.

He announced a project dubbed “Youth in cocoa business”, his organization has launched, to encourage young people into farming, and to aid them to see this as a rewarding business.

Under it, he said, they would be trained in best farming practices, and assisted to acquire farm lands, and therefore, appealed to chiefs and other land owners for support.