By Daniel Bampoe
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on the government over its newly announced farmgate price for cocoa, describing it as a “stab in the back” to Ghana’s hardworking farmers.
At a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Committee for Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, said the new price of GH¢3,228.75 per 64kg bag for the 2025/2026 season represented only a 4.2% increase from last year’s GH¢3,100.
He called the increment “ridiculous, laughable, comical, absurd, shameful, unfair” and ultimately “unacceptable.”
The cocoa farmers have equally joined the chorus rejecting the GH128 increment calling it paltry.
A Case of Broken Promises
The Minority accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of failing to honour its own campaign promises to cocoa farmers.
According to Dr. Opoku, key party figures—then in opposition—promised significantly higher farmgate prices during the run-up to the December 2024 elections.
He recalled that Eric Opoku, now Minister for Food and Agriculture, repeatedly assured farmers—most notably at Dadiesoaba in the Ahafo Region—that the NDC would pay GH¢6,000 per bag.
Similarly, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, now Finance Minister, promised GH¢7,000 per bag if the party came to power.
“Where are those promises now?” Dr. Opoku asked, accusing the government of deceiving farmers to win votes.
Comparisons with Ivory Coast
The Minority also drew attention to what they described as a “worrying price gap” between Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast.
Based on current exchange rates, Ivorian farmers are receiving the equivalent of GH¢3,635 per bag—about GH¢407 more than their Ghanaian counterparts.
“This stark difference,” Dr. Opoku warned, “presents an irresistible incentive for smuggling cocoa across the border, especially from Western South, Western North, Bono, and Volta regions.”
FOB Price Promise Not Met
During his “thank you” tour in the Bono and Western North regions, President Mahama pledged to pay farmers at least 70% of the Free On Board (FOB) price.
However, the Minority says this promise has also been broken.
They argue that at today’s world market price of $8,211.23 per tonne, 70% would equate to GH¢3,718 per bag—not the GH¢3,228.75 announced.
The caucus further noted that when prices peaked at $10,000 per tonne, the NDC, then in opposition, urged farmers to demand nothing less than GH¢6,000 per bag.
Questions for Government
The Minority posed a series of questions to the government, including:
Why demand GH¢6,000–GH¢7,000 per bag in opposition, only to offer far less in government?
If COCOBOD is broke, as claimed, how much was earned from cocoa sales in the 2024/25 season?
How much has been spent on transfer grants since January 2025?
What interventions has the government introduced to revive the industry?
They also challenged the government’s description of free inputs—such as fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and spraying machines—as new interventions, insisting that these costs are borne by farmers as part of the FOB price.
Demands for Immediate Review
The Minority is demanding an urgent review of the cocoa price, warning that failure to do so could demotivate farmers and push some to lease their farms to illegal mining operators (galamsey).
Dr. Opoku concluded: “We must safeguard our cocoa industry, protect our farmers’ livelihoods, and maintain Ghana’s enviable position in the world market. Cocoa farmers matter and demand better.”
