The General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union, Edward Kareweh, has cautioned the government to put in place an effective mechanism to deter encroachers from taking over lands purposely designated for agriculture.
He said, “It is necessary for us as a nation to protect and make judicious use of our land resources, especially those meant to promote agro-based activities.”
“This cannot be glossed over given the high rate at which illegal small-scale miners were taking over agricultural lands, with their attendant negative consequences on the environment,” he indicated.
He noted that the adverse effects of small-scale mining have deteriorated most of our agricultural lands which had already taken a toll on food production in the country.
“Water bodies are being polluted and the quality of our soil is being compromised due to the use of harmful chemicals by some of these illegal miners,” he lamented.
He made this known when he was addressing a National Executive Council (NEC) organized by GAWU in Kumasi.
With respect to the Sustainable Development Goals where food security is one of the main goals, Mr. Kareweh pointed out, “Ghana could miss out in realizing these targets without the availability of land.”
The event was designed to review and discuss the Government’s agricultural policies and programmes.
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