Cocoa Farmers Slam Govt Over Price Cut

Nana Aduna II

 

Cocoa farmers across the country have expressed their displeasure over government’s decision to cut the producer price of cocoa despite earlier promises to increase the price.

The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on Thursday, announced a revised cocoa producer price of GH¢41,392 per tonne, equivalent to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, down from GH¢3,625, for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season.

Speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting, the minister said the adjustment reflects current realities on the world cocoa market, aimed at injecting immediate liquidity into the sector while protecting farmers amid volatile international market conditions.

 

CDM Condemns Decision

However, the announcement has triggered some reactions from farmer associations, including the Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM), who described government’s decision “a heartless assault on the dignity, livelihood and survival of Ghana’s cocoa farmers.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the group said it was “deeply outraged and disappointed” by the immediate price cut. According to the CDM, the decision represents betrayal of public trust and contradicts campaign promises made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 elections.

According to the group, President John Mahama, then in opposition, assured cocoa farmers that they would not earn less than GH¢6,000 per bag, and pledged an upward review when NDC is elected into office.

The group indicated that it was therefore surprised that barely a year of assuming power, the government has reduced the price of cocoa rather than increase the price, calling the development as “one of the most shocking policy reversals in Ghana’s recent political history.”

It also said the price cut could have environmental consequences, including farmers desire to go into illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, which is destroying farmlands, water bodies, as well as undermining efforts by government  to fight galamsey.

The CDM has, therefore, demanded an immediate reversal of the new price, the implementation of the promised GH¢6,000 per bag, as well as stakeholder engagement on a pricing framework to protect the welfare of cocoa farmers.

 

The Ghana Farmers Association

Spokesperson of the Ghana Farmers Association, Nana Aduna II, reacting to the new producer price of cocoa on JoyNews AM Show, also criticised the development, stating that cocoa farmers are unfairly bearing the brunt of policy adjustments, while asking why farmers appear to be the only group affected within the cocoa value chain.

He argued that if cost-cutting measures were necessary, they should have been applied across the entire value chain, including administrative expenditure, staff salaries and government margins, rather than reducing farmers’ earnings.

Nana Aduna II also expressed concern over the weakening of farmer groups over the years, which he said has limited their capacity for collective bargaining.

 

Mixed Reactions from the Field

While many farmers have expressed anger over the price reduction, reactions from some cocoa-growing communities have been mixed.

In Assin Fosu in the Central Region, some farmers who previously experienced price increases under the new pricing framework welcomed government interventions such as free fertiliser, chemicals, spraying machines and scholarship packages for farmers’ children.

However, others maintained that pricing alone is not enough, and called for consistent input support and timely payment systems to ensure sustainable livelihoods.

 

Concerned Farmers Association

The National President of the Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana (CFA-Ghana), Nana Oboadie Bonsu II, in an interview on JoyNews, said the association would announce its official position after nationwide consultations.

He explained that the association is engaging farmers across various regions to assess whether the new price is fair, adding that while some farmers have accepted the new rate, others remain dissatisfied, hence the group would engage them.

“We cannot rush to make a statement without consulting our members. We need to sit down with our farmers, do the calculations and determine whether the price is acceptable,” he said.

 

Licensed Buyers Endorse Adjustment

The Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana (LCOBA), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on the other hand, has endorsed the new producer price, describing it as a necessary market adjustment.

The Association’s General Secretary, Vitus Dzah, said the new pricing structure aligns with prevailing global market trends and is aimed at ensuring stability within the cocoa sector.

According to him, aligning prices with market realities would allow cash flow of funds from Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to licensed buying companies and, ultimately, to farmers, reducing the delays that have plagued the sector in recent months.

He mentioned that the adjustment, coupled with a shift toward domestic financing, would help address the sector’s debt challenges and ensure long-term sustainability.

 

By Ebenezer K. Amponsah

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