‘Cocoa Farmers Are Not Beggars, Pay Them Now’ – Minority To Gov’t

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, has called on the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to immediately pay cocoa farmers for beans sold since November 2025, warning that delays are plunging farmers and the cocoa industry into crisis.

Addressing journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 5, Mr Opoku said the Minority Caucus was deeply concerned about the worsening conditions facing cocoa farmers, many of whom have not been paid for over three months.

According to him, Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) have been unable to pay farmers because funds for cocoa already delivered to COCOBOD have not been reimbursed. He noted that COCOBOD currently owes LBCs more than GH¢10 billion for cocoa taken over, leaving the companies financially constrained and unable to continue purchases.

“As a result, farmers are being forced to sell their cocoa on credit, at heavy discounts, or return home with their produce unsold,” he said, adding that the situation poses serious risks to the cocoa industry and the national economy.

Mr Opoku accused the government and COCOBOD of failing in their responsibility to reimburse the LBCs, many of which borrowed from banks and off-taker traders to pre-finance cocoa purchases. He rejected claims by COCOBOD that enough funds had been released to support cocoa buying, describing such assertions as misleading.

“The reality is that farmers have not been paid for cocoa sold to the Mahama-led NDC government since November last year,” he stated.

He painted a grim picture of the human impact of the delays, recounting cases of farmers unable to afford medication, pay school fees, or care for sick family members. According to him, some cocoa farmers were even forced to postpone Christmas celebrations for the first time in Ghana’s history because they had not been paid.

Mr Opoku also criticised the government for failing to honour campaign promises made ahead of the December 7 elections. He recalled that then-opposition figures, including Dr Eric Opoku and Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, had promised cocoa farmers producer prices of GH¢6,000 and GH¢7,000 per bag, respectively.

However, he said the current farmgate price stands at GH¢3,625 per 64 kg bag, far below those assurances.

He further expressed concern over reports that the government may consider reducing the producer price in order to pay farmers, describing such a move as a betrayal of trust.

The Ranking Member accused the government of promoting hardship instead of preventing cocoa smuggling, contrary to commitments in the NDC manifesto. He also alleged that wasteful administrative spending and mass transfers within COCOBOD had worsened the financial situation, even as farmers went unpaid.

Mr Opoku warned that the delayed payments were not only hurting farmers but also threatening the survival of indigenous cocoa-buying companies and transporters whose capital has been locked up.

The Minority Caucus is therefore demanding immediate payment to cocoa farmers for all cocoa beans sold, full reimbursement of LBCs for outstanding deliveries, and prompt settlement of future cocoa takeover receipts. They also called for an apology from the government and COCOBOD, insisting that prompt payment to farmers is not a favour but a duty.

“Cocoa farmers are not beggars. Paying them on time is an obligation,” Mr Opoku stressed.

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