By Daniel Bampoe
In a striking show of desperation and determination, cocoa farmers in Darso in the Offinso North Constituency defied a heavy downpour on Friday evening to meet members of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, bringing a dramatic close to the caucus’s week-long tour of cocoa-growing communities in the Ashanti Region.
The farmers, who had gathered as early as 4:00 p.m. for the engagement, refused to disperse despite hours of torrential rain. With no shelter, many resorted to plucking plantain leaves to shield themselves, waiting patiently in soaked clothing until the delegation—led by Minority Chief Whip and Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh—arrived later in the evening.
By then, the meeting had effectively transitioned into the night, underscoring the urgency of the farmers’ grievances.
The area’s Member of Parliament, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah received the Minority delegation, and was welcomed by a visibly emotional crowd of farmers.
Many expressed frustration over delayed payments, reduced producer prices, and what they described as broken promises regarding the cocoa sector.
,Several farmers, according to the delegation, lamented that they had not been paid for their produce since October, which has deepened financial hardship in already struggling communities.
Addressing the gathering, Annoh-Dompreh urged the farmers not to lose hope, assuring them that the Minority Caucus would carry their concerns to the Parliament of Ghana and push for accountability.
He emphasized that the tour was not merely symbolic but intended to gather firsthand evidence of the challenges facing cocoa farmers and to advocate for policy interventions that would restore fairness and stability in the sector.
The Minority Chief Whip also used the occasion to criticise the government’s handling of the cocoa industry, particularly the recent producer price reductions—popularly referred to as “haircuts”—and alleged delays in payments through Licensed Buying Companies.
He reiterated calls for transparency, including demands that the COCOBOD publish details of payments made to purchasing clerks to verify government claims.
The Darso engagement marked the final stop of the Minority’s Ashanti Region tour, which followed an earlier exercise in the Eastern Region.
Throughout the week, the caucus visited multiple cocoa-growing communities, where farmers consistently raised concerns about declining incomes, rising input costs, and uncertainty in cocoa purchases.
The Minority Caucus has indicated that findings from the tour will be compiled and presented to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to push for urgent reforms to address the challenges confronting cocoa farmers and to safeguard the future of the cocoa industry.
