Cocoa farm feud lands young farmer in jail

What began as a simmering dispute in a small farming community near Huniso has ended with a prison sentence for a 25‑year‑old man whose actions struck at the heart of Ghana’s cocoa livelihood.

Samuel Asamoah, a farmer from Anokyekrom, is now serving 18 months in prison with hard labour after admitting to cutting down 68 cocoa trees belonging to his colleague, Bukari Imoro. The Tarkwa District Magistrate Court One delivered the sentence after hearing how the destruction unfolded last April.

According to police prosecutors, Asamoah twice entered Imoro’s farm and felled mature cocoa trees heavy with fruit. When Imoro discovered the damage, suspicion quickly turned to his neighbour, who had a reputation for trouble. Village leaders summoned Asamoah to explain himself, but he refused to appear. Instead, he reportedly boasted in public that he was responsible and threatened to do more.

The threats rattled the farming community, where cocoa is not just a crop but the backbone of household income. “He damaged the cocoa trees but could not provide a solid explanation for why he did so,” Police Inspector Patrick Essien told the court.

Imoro eventually reported the matter to the Tarkwa Police on April 6, 2025. Investigators arrested Asamoah, who confessed to the act during questioning but offered no clear motive. His admission sealed the case against him.

The conviction is more than a personal punishment; it sends a message about protecting Ghana’s most important cash crop. Cocoa sustains millions of farmers and contributes significantly to the national economy. Acts of sabotage, like the one carried out in Huniso, threaten not only individual livelihoods but also the wider agricultural sector.

For the people of Anokyekrom, the sentence brings closure to a troubling episode. For Ghana’s cocoa industry, it stands as a reminder that the law will defend the farms that feed the nation.