The European Union is threatening Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire with legislative instrument to ban importation of its Cocoa to the EU market because of illegal mining.

Deputy Chief Executive of Cocobod in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control Dr Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh said the activities of illegal mining destroys the country’s forest cover and soil which after becomes practically impossible to cultivate.

He said current satellite images shows red areas which previously used to be forest areas which the EU has raised serious concerns.

Speaking at day-two of the National Consultative Dialogue in Accra Dr Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh said Ghana currently export about eighty percent of its Cocoa to the EU market and a ban will not augur well for Ghana’s cocoa industry.

This Dr Dwomoh said is eroding the gains made by Cocobod. Extension of galamsey into the country’s forest areas is of serious concerns and called on participants to help address the phenomenon.

The two-day bi-Partisan dialogue brought together the leadership of the two major political parties- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as other minority political parties to discuss issues pertaining to the illegal small-scale mining sector.

For instance, the Former Ministers for Lands and Natural Resources under NDC administration Hon. Alhaji Collins Dauda, NDC MP for Asutifi South and Hon. Inusah Fuseini were in attendance.

Story by: Kwaku Stephen