Africa-Press – Ghana. Cocoa farmers across Ghana have intensified calls for urgent government intervention following the reduction of the producer price from GHS3,625 to GHS2,587 per 64kg bag, a decision authorities attribute to falling global market prices.
The decision has triggered widespread dissatisfaction among farmers, with many describing it as a setback to livelihoods and rural economic stability.
Dr Frank Awuah, a lecturer at Dambai College of Education (DACE) and aspiring Oti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), criticised the move, questioning whether the promise by the government when they were in opposition to increase the producer price from GHS3100 to GHS6,500 was grounded in sound economic forecasting or was just meant to win votes.
In an interview, Dr. Awuah said the reduction had raised serious concerns about the government’s commitment to responsive and empathetic leadership during periods of economic difficulty.
He noted that cocoa producer prices had witnessed a steady upward trend over the past three crop seasons before the recent reversal.
According to him, during the 2023/2024 crop season, prices opened at GHS1,308 per bag and later increased to GHS2,070, representing a 58.26 percent rise. In the 2024/2025 crop season, the price began at GHS3,000 per bag, was adjusted to GHS3,100, and subsequently rose to GHS3,625 per bag.
However, for the 2025/2026 crop season, the government announced a reduction to GHS2,587 per bag, citing what it described as a sharp decline in global cocoa prices and a reported 70 per cent drop in market value.
Dr Awuah argued that while global market dynamics were significant, the socio-economic impact of the price cut on cocoa-dependent communities must not be overlooked.
He drew parallels with policy decisions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration led by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, when public sector salaries were maintained despite low economic activities and fiscal pressures.
He said that during the same period, Ghana’s gold reserves reportedly increased from about eight tonnes to 30.5 tonnes by January 2024 and later to 37.5 tonnes.
Dr Awuah claimed that part of the gold reserves had subsequently been sold to support the cedi, raising questions about whether similar interventions could not have been used to cushion cocoa farmers against the impact of falling global prices.
He suggested that the government could have maintained the GHS3,625 per bag price or introduced targeted support measures to protect farmers’ incomes.
Meanwhile, some cocoa farmers have reportedly traveled from the Western North region to Accra to embark on a protest. They demonstrated at the headquarters of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to press home their demands.
Dr Awuah said the protests reflected deep frustration within the cocoa sector and cautioned against dismissing the concerns as politically motivated.
He appealed to government and relevant authorities to engage stakeholders constructively and address the substantive economic challenges facing cocoa farmers to restore confidence and stability within the industry.
Ghana remains one of the world’s leading cocoa producers, with the crop serving as a major source of foreign exchange and livelihood for hundreds of thousands of households.
