The Mankranso command of the Forestry Commission has destroyed what they say is illegal farms in the Desiri forest reserves located in the Asutifi and Ahafo Ano North districts in Ashanti region.

The move was triggered after the management discovered large farms in the reserve without approval of the forestry commission, district manager Godwin Agyeman disclosed.

Range manager, Palmer Aikins Amponsah in an interview with Ultimate FM’s Isaac Bediako said the exercise saw destruction of eight hectares of cultivated farm food crops.

The exercise which was executed with the support of the military and the commission’s guards will continue next week Wednesday 19 September 2018, to free the forest reserve from encroachers.

A visit to the forest reserve by the media witnessed activities of the encroachers destructing cedralla and teak trees to be harvested by government in its maturity stage. Checks revealed over one thousand trees have been felled, burnt and destroyed with chemicals by the illegal farmers.

Eight hectares of illegal farms were destroyed by the commission
The Range manager disclosed that, “the plantations if allowed for few years will mature for harvest to bring a lot of revenue to the State but illegal farmers are clearing the plantations for their self-interest. On the 12th of September staff of the forestry commission and over 60 Youth in afforestation (YEA) members from Tepa ,Mehame, Dadesoaba and Siencheim communities went to the farms to destruction crops on the illegal farmers” he said.

He noted “crops destroyed include cocoa, maize, cocoyam, and Yam, interestingly while destroying we also planted tress seedlings to replace the lost trees due to activities of the farmers. The trees planted are varieties of both exotic and indigenous species”.

He also revealed that illegal farmers arrested in the Desiri forest reserve have been arraigned before court for prosecution.

“ I will like to use this opportunity to advice illegal farmers farming illegally here to seize their lawless activities or face the thoroughness of the law” he pleaded.
SOURCE: STARRFM