Africa-Press – Ghana. Cocoa farmers in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region have resorted to drying their cocoa beans in their homes following a recent surge in theft cases on their farms.
The farmers say the persistent theft of harvested and unharvested cocoa pods was affecting their livelihoods and compromising the quality of cocoa produced in the area.
A farmer, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on condition of anonymity, said he recently lost several bags of harvested pods after leaving them overnight on his farm.
“I went back the next day only to find everything was gone. It’s very discouraging,” he lamented.
He expressed concern over what he described as a growing number of idle youth in the area, who, he alleged, were turning to theft instead of engaging in productive work.
“Our youth don’t want to work. They’d rather steal. If this continues, I fear for the future of our country,” he said.
Another farmer, who is also a teacher, told GNA that thieves had been harvesting cocoa pods from his farm in the Dzindziso area.
He said he and other affected farmers were considering hiring a private security guard to protect their farms both day and night.
He described the situation as heartbreaking and called for divine intervention as well as urgent government action.
The affected farmers noted that although drying cocoa beans indoors was not ideal, it had become necessary as the risk of theft had grown too high.
They acknowledged that the indoor drying process compromises proper fermentation and quality assurance, which could affect market value.
The farmers are therefore appealing to local authorities and security agencies to intensify patrols and surveillance in cocoa-growing communities to safeguard their produce.
The Kadjebi district is one of the major cocoa-producing areas in the Oti region.
Stakeholders fear that continued insecurity on cocoa farms could undermine the sustainability of the sector and discourage the youth from venturing into cocoa farming.
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