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The Minority in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on the government over its newly announced cocoa producer price of GH₵3,228.75 per 64 kg bag, describing it as “ridiculous, unfair, and completely unacceptable” and accusing the administration of betraying the trust of Ghana’s cocoa farmers.
The backlash follows the government’s confirmation of a 62.58% increase in the producer price of cocoa—from US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne—effective Thursday, August 7, 2025. In cedi terms, the price moves from GH₵49,600 to GH₵51,660 per tonne, representing the equivalent of GH₵3,228.75 per bag.
The announcement was made by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), chaired by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and marks the first adjustment to cocoa prices under the current administration.
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However, the minority argues that while the government has met its campaign pledge to set the producer price at 70% of the Free On Board (FOB) value, the real issue lies in the disparity between this new figure and the expectations created during the 2024 election campaign, when the ruling party promised cocoa farmers far higher returns.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, accused the government of playing politics with farmers’ livelihoods.
“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,” Dr Opoku declared.
He went on to describe the new price in harsh terms:
“This new farm gate price of GH₵3,228.75 per bag is ridiculous, laughable, comical, absurd, shameful, unfair, and a stab in the back of cocoa farmers. This is complete ‘sakawa’ and unacceptable.”
The Minority warned that such “poor remuneration” could drive farmers to lease or sell their cocoa farms to illegal mining operators, deepening the country’s galamsey crisis and undermining the sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
Dr Opoku stressed that cocoa farming is already under pressure from climate change, ageing tree stocks, and rising input costs, making fair pricing essential for maintaining production levels and protecting rural livelihoods.
“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,” he said.
The PPRC’s pricing decision was based on the current global cocoa market price of US$5,040 per tonne, with the 70% farmer share translating to the announced GH₵3,228.75 per bag at the prevailing exchange rate. The government has hailed the move as evidence of its commitment to cocoa farmers, noting that under the previous administration, the farmer share stood at 63.9% of FOB.
But the minority contends that this technical benchmark misses the point, insisting that the political promise to deliver significantly higher farmgate prices remains unfulfilled.
The caucus is demanding an immediate upward review of the producer price to bring it in line with farmers’ expectations and the economic realities of the sector. Without such action, they warn, Ghana risks not only the collapse of its cocoa industry but also the loss of a key source of foreign exchange and rural employment.
The standoff sets the stage for renewed political and industry debate over the sustainability, fairness, and transparency of cocoa pricing in Ghana—a sector that has long been the backbone of the nation’s economy.
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