BY Daniel Bampoe
The cocoa sector has been thrown into renewed turmoil following the National Democratic Congress government’s decision to reduce the cocoa producer price to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, a move that has triggered widespread condemnation from civil society groups, farmer associations, and policy advocates.
The latest backlash was led by the Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM), which on Thursday, February 12, 2026, issued a strongly worded public statement describing the decision as a betrayal of campaign promises and a direct threat to the livelihoods of cocoa farmers across the country.
The price reduction, which took effect immediately, comes at a time when the cocoa industry is already grappling with delayed farmer payments, market instability, liquidity constraints within COCOBOD, and declining confidence in the cocoa value chain.
For many farming communities, the announcement has deepened a sense of uncertainty and economic vulnerability, especially in rural areas where cocoa remains the primary source of income and employment.
According to CDM, the decision marks a sharp policy reversal from the commitments made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general election campaign.
Throughout the campaign period, cocoa pricing featured prominently in NDC political messaging, particularly in cocoa-growing regions such as Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, Ahafo, Western North, Central, and parts of Volta Region.
Party leaders repeatedly criticised the prevailing cocoa producer price at the time as inadequate and pledged significant upward revisions once in office.
President John Dramani Mahama, then the NDC presidential candidate, consistently assured cocoa farmers at campaign rallies that his government would prioritise their welfare and dignity.
On multiple platforms, he pledged that cocoa farmers would receive substantially higher prices for their produce, framing cocoa farming as the backbone of rural economic survival and national development.
At several rallies, he publicly stated that cocoa farmers under an NDC government would earn “not less than GH¢6,000 per bag,” a promise that became a major campaign message across cocoa-growing communities.
Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, now Minister for Finance, also played a central role in shaping that narrative while in opposition.
At the time, he criticised the existing cocoa pricing structure and promised that an NDC administration would immediately review cocoa prices upward to reflect what he described as the true value of farmers’ labour, sacrifice, and contribution to the national economy.
Other senior party figures echoed similar commitments, presenting cocoa price reform as a symbol of the party’s pro-farmer economic agenda.
Barely a year into the new administration, however, the policy has moved in the opposite direction.
Instead of an increase, the government has announced a sharp reduction in the producer price, cutting it to GH¢2,587 per bag. For many farmers and civil society groups, the move represents not only a policy shift, but a fundamental breach of political trust.
CDM, in its reaction, described the decision as one of the most dramatic policy reversals in recent political history, arguing that the government had moved from promises of dignity and prosperity to policies that deepen hardship and insecurity in rural communities.
The group stated that the reduction comes at a time when cocoa farmers are already struggling with rising costs of farm inputs, escalating labour expenses, climate-related production challenges, and a high cost of living.
Beyond the economic impact, analysts and civil society groups are also raising concerns about the broader social and environmental consequences of making cocoa farming economically unattractive.
Historically, downturns in cocoa profitability have been linked to increased rural poverty, migration, and the abandonment of farms. More critically, environmental experts warn that declining cocoa incomes have often pushed farmers toward illegal mining (galamsey) as a survival strategy.
In many cocoa-growing areas, cocoa farmlands overlap with mineral-rich zones, making the transition from farming to illegal mining a recurring pattern during periods of economic stress.
Environmental groups argue that weakening the cocoa economy risks accelerating land degradation, water pollution, deforestation, and the destruction of farmlands, thereby undermining national efforts to combat galamsey and protect natural resources.
The CDM statement explicitly linked the cocoa price reduction to these risks, warning that policies that impoverish farmers inadvertently fuel illegal mining activities. According to the group, any government that claims commitment to fighting galamsey while implementing policies that push farmers into economic desperation is pursuing contradictory and self-defeating strategies.
In response to the decision, CDM has called for an immediate reversal of the new producer price and the implementation of the campaign pledge to raise cocoa prices to at least GH¢6,000 per bag.
The group also demanded urgent stakeholder engagement with cocoa farmers and their unions, as well as the establishment of a transparent pricing framework that prioritises farmer welfare over political convenience and short-term fiscal pressures.
