Anthony Pile, Founder of Blue Skies Ltd—one of Ghana’s leading agribusiness exporters—has voiced serious concern over the devastating effects of illegal sand winning on agricultural land. In a strong appeal to the government, he is urging immediate intervention, warning that the unchecked spread of this practice poses a significant threat to Ghana’s food security and agribusiness sector.
Blue Skies has already lost more than 100 acres of cultivated farmland to illegal sand winning. The affected land, which has been used for over two decades, is essential to the company’s pineapple production—key to both its juice products and exports.
Alistair Djimatey, Head of Corporate Affairs at Blue Skies, explained that the destruction has worsened over time due to the increasing frequency of illegal sand mining in the area.
“This land was part of our pineapple farms. We operate on about 480 acres in this area, and already 100 acres have been destroyed. Sadly, little is being done to stop it. It’s severely impacting agricultural productivity, and the pineapple industry has been reduced to its lowest,” he said.
Driven largely by high demand from the construction industry, illegal sand winning has become a growing challenge for agribusinesses nationwide. The unregulated activity is not only destroying valuable farmland but also undermining Ghana’s long-term food security and agricultural ambitions.
Anthony Pile is calling on both government and civil society to act swiftly by enforcing land-use and environmental laws, as well as introducing zoning protections to safeguard farmland from encroachment.
“My plea to government and civil society is clear: take firm action against illegal sand winners. If someone steals sand without authorization, they should be jailed. That’s where they belong,” he asserted.
Pile also emphasized the need for a stable operating environment for agribusinesses, stressing that protecting productive farmland is fundamental to achieving that stability.
