CDM goes bonkers over new cocoa price

The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has strongly condemned the Government of Ghana’s decision to reduce the cocoa producer price to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, describing it as a “monumental betrayal” of campaign promises and an “assault on the dignity and livelihoods of cocoa farmers.”

In a statement issued after the pronouncement by the Minister for Finance following a marathon cabinet meeting held to tackle the near collapse of the cocoa sector, the CDM accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of breaking repeated assurances made during the 2024 general election campaign, when party leaders, including President John Dramani Mahama, pledged to substantially increase cocoa prices.

During the campaign, President Mahama had assured cocoa farmers that under an NDC government, prices would rise to not less than GH¢6,000 per bag, emphasising that farmers are “the backbone of the rural economy.”

The current Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, while in opposition, had also criticized the prevailing cocoa pricing regime and promised an immediate review to reflect the true value of farmers’ labour.

Yet, barely a year into office, the CDM notes, the government has not only failed to increase cocoa prices, but has instead slashed them to GH¢2,587 per bag, a move the group calls “one of the most shocking policy reversals in recent Ghanaian history.”

The CDM warned that the decision comes at a time of soaring living costs, high farm input prices, rising labor expenses, and worsening climate conditions, all factors already pressuring cocoa farmers.

According to the group, reducing the producer price threatens to push farmers toward illegal mining (galamsey) as a survival option, undermining national anti-galamsey efforts and exacerbating environmental degradation.

“This reduction will accelerate the destruction of cocoa farmlands, intensify water pollution and land degradation, and deepen food and environmental insecurity,” the CDM said.

Demands for Reversal and Farmer-Centered Policy

The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) is demanding that the government immediately reverse the decision to reduce the cocoa producer price to GH¢2,587 per bag.

The group is also urging the administration to honour its campaign promise by setting the price at no less than GH¢6,000 per 64kg bag.

In addition, the CDM call for urgent consultation with cocoa farmers and their unions to ensure their voices are heard, and insist on the establishment of a transparent pricing framework that places the welfare of farmers above political convenience.

The CDM concluded that the price reduction represents not only an economic misstep but also a moral and political failure, arguing that the government’s action contradicts its promises and undermines public trust.

“The cocoa farmer deserves respect, justice, and economic dignity—not broken promises and policy punishment,” the CDM said, reaffirming its commitment to advocating for fair pricing and people-centred governance.

 

 

 

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