For generations, cocoa farming has been the backbone of life in Breman, a quiet farming community in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region. Beneath the shade of cocoa trees and intercropped food plants, families have sustained both their livelihoods and the local environment.
But that landscape was dramatically altered when excavators belonging to Perseus Ghana Mining Limited (PGML) bulldozed several cocoa farms, leaving farmers devastated and raising concerns about the growing conflict between mining operations and community livelihoods.

The destruction affected about eight smallholder farmers whose lands formed part of the community’s cocoa-based agroforestry system — a farming method that combines cocoa trees with food crops such as cassava, plantain, pineapple, sugarcane and yam. These farms not only supported household incomes but also helped maintain tree cover and soil stability in the area.
The affected farmers—Paul Minah, who lost four acres; Paul Kofi Minah, 1.5 acres; Kwao Minah, 3.5 acres; Ama Asantewaa, a widow whose 6-acre farm was destroyed; as well as Wofa K, Wofa Adinkra, John Koomson and Auntie Blaa—are members of the Concerned Farmers Association-Breman (CFAB), a local community-based organisation advocating farmers’ rights.
According to the farmers, the operation took place in two phases. The first incident reportedly occurred on Friday, September 5, 2025, between 1:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m., when excavators moved onto the farms of Paul Kofi Minah and Kwao Minah, destroying their cocoa trees and other crops.

A second operation followed early the next morning on Saturday, September 6, when the farms of Ama Asantewaa, Wofa K, Wofa Adinkra, John Koomson and Auntie Blaa were also reportedly levelled. The farmers say the destruction was carried out by two excavators accompanied by about seven armed police officers and other security personnel.

When the farmers later visited their lands, they said they found their cocoa trees and food crops completely flattened including harvested, ripe cocoa pods that were ready for sale.
“We rushed to our farms and there was nothing left,” said Kwao Minah. “Our cocoa trees, the crops we depend on, everything was gone.”

For smallholder farmers like those in Breman, cocoa farms are more than economic assets. They are long-term investments that take years to mature and often support entire households. The shade trees and mixed cropping systems used in cocoa farming also contribute to local biodiversity, soil fertility and microclimate stability. The farmers said they did not receive prior notice or consent before the alleged destruction of their farms.

According to Paul Minah, he and two other farmers reported the matter to the Diaso Police Command immediately after the first incident.

“We were assured that the police would investigate the matter,” he said.
However, tensions deepened when the farmers said officers failed to visit the community the following day to inspect the alleged damage.

When the affected farmers returned to the Diaso Police Command to follow up on their complaint, they claim officers on duty explained that their commander had travelled for a funeral and therefore investigations could not begin immediately.

The farmers further alleged that officers demanded GHC1,000 each from them to purchase fuel for a police vehicle to travel to Breman to assess the situation. Unable to raise the full amount individually, the farmers said they collectively contributed GHC1,000 in the hope that the police would proceed with the investigation. According to them, the officers later informed them that the visit could only take place on Monday, September 8.

For the affected farmers, the delay has compounded their frustration.

Beyond the immediate financial loss, the destruction of cocoa trees represents years of labour wiped away overnight. Cocoa trees typically take several years to reach full production, making recovery from such losses particularly difficult for smallholder farmers.

Community members say the situation highlights broader tensions between large-scale mining concessions and farming communities across Ghana’s cocoa-growing forest zones. Against the bacdrop of the above the Concerned Farmers Association-Breman filed a suit against PMGL which matter is before the Cape Coast High Court

As Breman’s farmers count their losses, the once-green farms that sustained both livelihoods and local ecosystems now lie bare — a stark reminder of the delicate balance between resource extraction and the communities that depend on the land.

Story by Dennis Ato Keelson