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Joanna M. African Author
Joanna M.
Business
09 / 2020

The Effects of Illegal Mining On Ghana’s Agriculture

African agriculture and mining in Africa

We are hearing reports that ”Four hundred security men are expected to be deployed to mining areas in three regions today to counter the activities of illegal miners, known as galamseyers.” Well it’s about time isn’t?

We are hearing reports that ”Four hundred security men are expected to be deployed to mining areas in three regions today to counter the activities of illegal miners, known as galamseyers.” Well it’s about time isn’t?

So the Ghanaian government has finally woken up to the reality of how mining degrades the environment, which further destroys communities. The Northern regions of Ghana has been plagued with illegal mining (Galamsey) activities, with Chinese workers acting as the number culprits.

These illegal mining activities have substantially destroyed the fertile environment needed for Ghanaian farmers to grow crops. Their livelihood has been destroyed over the years and it’s only now that the government is stepping up to their duties.

‘Galamsey’ does not only pollute rivers and other water bodies but also leaves death traps for miners themselves and other farmers within the mining and farming communities.

Radio Micah say’s it best:

”Why do we give a habitat to such an enemy Galamsey to oppose the interest of mankind to serve as threat, harmful and nemesis to our environmental freedom?…

We urge the Ghana Chamber of Mines, the government and all stakeholders including the citizens to think of better ways to help solve this menace; otherwise we will wake up one day to find out that we do not have any potable water because all the water bodies, as well as our ground water, have been polluted through the unbridled activities of these illegal miners’.

According to Economists, factors of production are divided into four categories: land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship. The first factor of production is land, but this includes any natural resource used to produce goods and services and resources can include timber, water, oil, livestock, and so forth.

Each and every one of us should not forget that land plays an important role in production because land itself and the resources on it are usually limited and also, many of these natural resources are non renewable, meaning that their amount is fixed, and they can’t be used indeterminately as illegal miners are abusing it today .

Moreover, we the citizens must carefully manage our arable lands and its resources that include water even for our future generation but if we sit down idly, Galamsey the enemy will destroy all of these lands and water bodies in Ghana in a shortest possible time and before we will realize it will affect the entire country in a very few coming years and we will compelled to opted to import food and water before we can eat and drink.”

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