Home NEWS 8 Cocoa Farmers Arrested

8 Cocoa Farmers Arrested

Members of Taskforce
Eight farmers who illegally cultivated cocoa in a forest reserve called ‘Krokosua Forest Reserve’ at Juaboso in the Western Region were yesterday arrested in an operation by the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Team.

The operation, code-named “Operation Search and Destroy”, was carried out in collaboration with officials of the commission in the three forest districts of Bibiani, Sefwi-Wiawso and Sefwi Juaboso, all in the region.

The team was assisted by the military on detachment to the Forestry Commission and the police.

The team, which included the Juaboso District Forest Manager, Henry Kudiabor, arrested the eight farmers for allegedly rushing to the forest to obstruct the operations of the taskforce.

The farmers were later cautioned and discharged after they claimed that they were in the forest to see the Omanhene of the area who led the operation.

Though the exercise was smooth, some of the cocoa trees were left untouched because some portions of the land were being contested in court by some aggrieved farmers.

The Paramount Chief of Sefwi-Wiawso, Okatakyie Bumagama II, cut down the first cocoa tree to signify the beginning of the restoration of the forest.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE after the operation, Henry Kudiabor, the district forest manager, explained that the operation was aimed at restoring the forest reserve.

He noted that some farmers in the area had allegedly decided to destroy the forest reserve by cutting down and burning some important trees in the forest and cultivating cocoa.

He pointed out that the recalcitrant farmers carried out their actions despite a directive from the court that no farmer should cultivate crops on any portion of the forest reserve.

“We will continue with the operation until the farmers desist from turning the forest reserve into farms,” he added.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

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