MINORITY CAUCUS ISSUE STATEMENT ON PRODUCER PRICE OF COCOA FOR THE 2025/26 SEASON: GOVERNMENT HAS STABBED COCOA FARMERS IN THE BACK.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we have called you here this morning as the Minority Caucus Committee on Food. Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs to express our outmost disappointment in the ridiculously low cocoa farm gate price of GHC3228.75 per bag of 64 kilos announced by government yesterday, 4th August, 2025. This constitutes a paltry 4.2% increase over the current price of Ghc 3,100.00. Our hardworking farmers deserve helter than this “SAKAWA” price of GHC 3228.75.
You will recall that in the run-up to the Dee 7ih Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the then opposition members of the NDC led by Hon. (Dr). Eric Opoku the then ranking member for Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament (now Minister for Food and Agriculture) and Hon. (Dr). Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader then (now Minister for Finance) informed Ghanaians that cocoa farmers were being shortchanged and that COCOBOD was cheating farmers big time.
Hon. Eric Opoku, on various campaign platforms, including a meeting with cocoa farmers at Dadiescaba in the Ahafo Region consistently promised cocoa farmers a producer price of GHe6000/beg. Hon. Ato Forson on the other hand, promised to pay cocoa farmers GHc7000/bag if they won power.
What happened to these numerous promises by Hon. (Dr). Eric Opoku and Hon. (Dr). Cassiel Ato Forson?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we want to know what price the Chief Executive of COCOBOD was referring to when he promised Cocoa farmers that the 2025/2026 farm gate price will be for in excess of what Core D’Ivoire was paying to the Ivorian cocoa farmer. Is it the same as what the Finance Minister has announced? Today, the Ivorian farmer at the current exchange rate, is receiving the equivalent of GHe3,635 per 64kg bag of cocoa, a staggering GHe407 more than Ghana. This stark difference presents an irresistible incentive for smugglers to divert Ghanaian cocoa across the border, potentially lending to a mass exodus of our prized crop beans from the border regions, particularly Western South. Western North. Brong Ahafo and Volta.
What also happened to the promise by His Excellency, the President to pay 70% of the FOB price to farmers when he addressed farmers during his thank you tour in the Bono and Western North Regions?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, when the world market price peaked at $10,000 per ton, the NDC incited cocoa farmers to demand nothing less than $6,000/ton which translated to GH¢6,000/bag,
In any case, is the GH¢3,228.75/bag, what His Excellency, the President said cocoa farmers will be VERY VERY VERY HAPPY when the new price is announced? What price was His Excellency referring to? Is it the same GH¢3,228.75/bag announced by Hon. Ato Forson? Cocoa farmers are rather sad and highly disappointed.
Cocoa farmers deserve far better for their toil and sacrifices for their enormous contribution to the economy of the country. They cannot be taken for granted all the time. The deception must stop!
This new farm gate price of GH¢3,228.75/bag is ridiculous, laughable, comical, absurd, shameful, unfair and a stab in the back of cocoa farmers. This is complete “SAKAWA” and unacceptable.
Other questions agitating the minds of Ghanaians are that:
- What was the motive of the NDC when they insisted while in opposition that the then government should have paid cocoa farmers, at least, GHe6000/bag as farm gate price?
- Did they think that the world market price was going to be static?
- What would have been the NDC’s government position today if the NPP government had yielded to their insistent pressure and paid the GH¢6,000/bag they demanded at the time.
- Will the NDC government admit that they were reckless in their demand for the then government to pay between GHé6000-7000/bag?
The NDC government has told Ghanaians that COCOBOD is insolvent, COCOBOD is broke, COCOBOD is a collapsed industry etc…
What they have failed to tell Ghanaians is how much revenue COCOBOD had generated from cocoa sales in the 2024/25 season? Was it in excess of $3 billion?
- How much has COCOBOD paid so far as transfer grant alone, for the wanton transfers of personnel since assuming office in January 2025? If indeed COCOBOD is broke, Ghanaians need to know.
“. If indeed the cocoa industry is collapsing what is the NDC government doing differently to revive the industry? Can they point to a single intervention diey ever introduced to alleviate the plight of cocoa farmers?
Hon. Ato Forson in his statement indicated that the government will supply free insecticide, free fertilizers, free fungicides and free spraying machines, Are these interventions new? In any case; the cost of all these inputs are borne by the cocoa farmer. They form part of the FOB price. It is the formers’ money. Therefore, the government cannot describe them as free supply to the farmer.
Today, Hon, Ato Forson is lecturing Ghanaians about the factors which go into the determination of cocoa price. Its listed some rates, margins and fees including buyers’ margin, haulers’ rate. warehousing and internal marketing costs. fees for disinfection, grading and sealing and weighing scale inspection.
The questions Ghanaians are asking Hon. Ato Forson are whether these factors are new? Did they exist in 2024 when he was promising the GHC6000/bag? He must come again.
Hon. Ato Forson also said ‘COCOBOD has made available jute sacks for the smooth take off of the 2025/21126 crop season. Ghanaians want to know whether the jute sacks he was referring to were the same jute sacks the Chief Executive of COCOBOD described as over procured or missing or these were new jute sacks procured by the NDC government. Ghanaians want to know.
They should stop the lamentations and honor their promises. Hon. Eric Opoku will have to go back to Dadiesoaba, and apologize unreservedly for his failed promise. Fortunately, Hon Ato Forson is now the Finance Minister. He controls the purse. He has to find the money to pay what he promised.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this new price of GHe3,228.75/hag is completely unacceptable and has to be reviewed immediately to motivate our cocoa farmers and prevent the temptation of farmers giving their cocoa farms out to galamsey operators. We must safeguard our cocoa industry, protect our farmers livelihoods and maintain Ghana’s enviable position in the industry, The government must come again and offer a better price. Cocoa Farmers matter and demand better!! “If you cannot spell, you do not write”.
Thank you.
SIGNED
HON. (DR). ISAAC YAW OPOKU
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR OFFINSO SOUTH CONSTITUENCY
RANKING MEMBER – COMMITTEE ON FOOD AGRICULTURE AND COCOA ATTAIRS
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