Galamsey: Ban on Ghana’s agric exports imminent – Importers and Exporters Association

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has warned that illegal mining, or "galamsey," threatens the country’s agricultural exports.

Contamination from heavy metals, like mercury, introduced by mining operations, has been detected in exported products such as cocoa, yams, and vegetables. These pollutants make the food unsafe, particularly in regions with strict safety standards like the European Union (EU).

Samson Asaaki Awingobit, the association’s president, highlighted that failure to address this could lead to an EU ban on Ghanaian exports, causing severe economic consequences, as the EU is a major trading partner.