By Daniel Bampoe
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is facing sharp criticism from cocoa farmers and civil society following what many describe as a “deceptive” announcement of a producer price hike for cocoa ahead of the 2025/2026 season.
Critics accuse the government of scamming farmers after failing to fulfill its campaign promise of paying GHC6,000 per bag of cocoa.
On August 4th, 2025, the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, announced that the government, through the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), had approved a new cocoa producer price of $5,040 per metric tonne, effective August 7.
The announcement translates to GHC51,660 per tonne, or GHC3,228.75 per 64-kg bag, using an average exchange rate of GHC10.25 to the US dollar.
The Minister touted the increase as a 62.58% jump in dollar terms and said the new figure represents 70% of the Free-On-Board (FOB) value of cocoa pegged at $7,200.
He further claimed the move fulfills President Mahama’s pledge to ensure cocoa farmers receive 70% of the global market price for their produce.
However, cocoa farmers across the Western North, Ahafo, and Ashanti cocoa belts feel betrayed.
“They promised us GHC6,000 per bag in opposition. Now they give us GHC3,228.75 — just a GHC128.75 increase from the GHC3,100 the NPP gave us,” a farmer from Sefwi-Wiawso told this reporter.
“This is a scam. We were expecting real change, not cosmetics.”
Background of the Promise
During the 2024 election campaign, then-presidential candidate John Mahama, addressing cocoa farmers in the Western North Region, pledged to ensure that cocoa producers would receive no less than 70% of the world market price for their beans.
Speaking in Bia West on July 15, 2025, as part of his “Thank You” tour, President Mahama reiterated this pledge and assured farmers that the NDC had restructured the cocoa sector to better serve producers.
He also emphasized that his government would prioritize distributing improved seedlings, addressing the spread of swollen shoot disease, and compensating farmers affected by ageing cocoa trees.
“We will restore dignity to cocoa farming. We will ensure farmers receive a fair share of the global market price,” Mahama said.
But now, many believe that promise has not been honored in full.
NPP vs. NDC Price Math
Under the previous administration led by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the cocoa producer price was $3,100 per tonne — about 63.9% of an FOB price of $4,850. At the time, the world market price was relatively stable but forecast to rise.
Ironically, while the NDC government claims to have increased the producer price to meet 70% of the current FOB value, the local currency equivalent only moved from GHC49,600 per tonne to GHC51,660 — a marginal increase of just GHC2,060 per tonne, or GHC128.75 per bag.
Analysts say this minimal increase in cedi terms could be due to inflationary pressures and a weakening local currency, raising questions about whether farmers are truly benefiting from the so-called “significant” price hike.
Reactions from the Ground
Farmer advocacy groups say they are disappointed and are calling on the government to explain the discrepancy between the campaign promise and the actual delivery.
“The Minister is playing a numbers game. Yes, 70% of $7,200 is $5,040 — but what really matters to us is what ends up in our pockets, and GHC3,228 per bag isn’t anywhere near the GHC6,000 they promised.” a farmer said.
Another farmer in Juaboso added, “This is not what we were told on the campaign trail. We feel used. We feel betrayed.”
What’s Next?
While the government has lauded the move as historic, especially amid high international cocoa prices, critics believe the NDC must do more to bridge the gap between its promises and real-life benefits to farmers.
Civil society groups have also urged the government to improve transparency around how FOB values are calculated, and to ensure that cocoa sector reforms benefit farmers directly — not just through “politically convenient” price announcements.
