Eight Farmers arrested for farming in forest reserve

The Forestry Commission Task Force has arrested eight farmers for cultivating inside the Krokosua Forest Reserve at Sefwi-Juabo in the Western Region.

The commission also destroyed large hectares of food crop and cocoa farms belonging to the farmers.

This comes amid efforts to halt the destruction of the reserve and its resources.

Mr Henry Kudiabor, the Juaboso district manager of the Forest Service Division (FSD), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the offending farmers would be prosecuted.

He said the task force, made up of a combined team of soldiers, police officers and forestry officials, would do everything to protect and clear the reserve of encroachers.

The Commission, under an agreement with the forest fringe communities, had allowed farming on some portions but others took advantage of the situation and entered the restricted area.

Mr Kudiabor said this was something they were determined to stop through a special operation dubbed “Search and Destroy” launched to restore sanity.

GNA