Nkawie: The Ashanti Regional Deputy Manager of COCOBOD, Mr Emmanuel Adjei, emphasized the critical role of stakeholder engagement in addressing the rampant smuggling of cocoa beans, which is adversely impacting cocoa production in Ghana. According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Adjei highlighted the issue during a cocoa anti-smuggling meeting at Nkawie, which saw over 110 stakeholders from the Atwima enclave participate. The meeting, organized by the Municipal Directorate of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD, aimed to educate and mobilize local stakeholders, including farmers, buyers, cooperative societies, and security heads from Atwima Nwabiagya North and South, Kwanwoma, and parts of Atwima Mponua, to collectively combat the smuggling of cocoa. Mr Adjei pointed out that illicit activities such as illegal mining, sand winning, and bush burning, along with cocoa smuggling, have significantly reduced Ghana's cocoa production. These activities decreased the country's production target from 750 to 400 metric tonnes last year. He underscored the importance of the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System (GCTS), sponsored by the European Union and implemented by CHED with support from the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies, for its role in curbing these losses. Additionally, Mr Adjei advised farmers against being misled by unlicensed buyers offering prices above the government-approved rate, which often indicates smuggling activities. He emphasized the legal risks to farmers involved in such transactions and urged them to report any such offers. Nii Koi Kotey, the Cocoa Officer for the Atwima enclave, also called upon all community members to actively participate in the fight against cocoa smuggling to ensure the sustainability of the cocoa industry, which significantly benefits the local economy.