The Minority in Parliament has warned that the brand new cocoa producer value introduced by authorities may push farmers to smuggle their cocoa throughout Ghana’s borders in the hunt for higher costs.
The Minority indicated that the GH¢3,228.75 per 64kg bag supplied for the 2025/2026 cocoa season was too low and didn’t match the present market situations.
They defined that the brand new value was solely a 4.2% enhance from the earlier season’s GH¢3,100, describing it as unfair and a betrayal of the onerous work of cocoa farmers.
In an announcement signed by the Rating Member on the Meals, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, affirmed that cocoa farmers deserved higher.
He famous that the low value may tempt many to smuggle cocoa into Côte d’Ivoire, the place farmers had been reportedly receiving the equal of GH¢3,635 per bag, GH¢407 greater than in Ghana.
“This hole in value presents a robust purpose for smuggling, particularly in border areas like Western North, Western South, Brong Ahafo and Volta,” the minority said.
They questioned why marketing campaign guarantees made by main authorities officers, together with Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Agriculture Minister Dr. Eric Opoku, had not been fulfilled.
They recalled that each ministers promised cocoa farmers between GH¢6,000 and GH¢7,000 per bag if the NDC got here to energy.
In addition they pointed to the President’s earlier pledge to pay 70% of the world market value to farmers.
In accordance with them, the present world value of $8,211.23 per tonne ought to translate to GH¢3,718 per bag, not GH¢3,228.75.
The group expressed fear in regards to the introduced value saying that it was “unacceptable”, describing it as “ridiculous, shameful and a stab behind farmers.”
They urged the federal government to right away overview the value and present extra dedication to bettering the welfare of cocoa farmers, warning that the trade may endure if farmers flip away from cocoa or lease their farms to unlawful miners.
“The federal government should come once more. Cocoa farmers matter they usually deserve higher,” the minority reminded.
By: Jacob Aggrey
