Mahama has delivered 70% world market price – Chief Cocoa Farmer

Volta and Oti Regional Chief Cocoa Farmer, Nana Kwame Abass, has strongly defended President John Mahama’s recent cocoa price announcement. He insisted it reflects the government’s commitment to delivering on its promise to Ghanaian cocoa farmers.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Nana Abass stated that the newly announced producer price of US\$5,040 per tonne for the 2025/2026 cocoa season—up from US\$3,100—represents a 62.58% increase in dollar terms and exceeds the 70% Free on Board (FOB) world market price pledge made by the President.

“President Mahama’s promise to increase the cocoa price by 70% was based on the world market price, not the price per bag. With this new cocoa price announced on Monday, per my calculation, it exceeds the 70%. Mahama is on course,” he said.

He dismissed criticisms suggesting a discrepancy between the announced price and the President’s earlier pledge, arguing that many people misunderstood the context of the promise.

Addressing concerns over the cedi equivalent of the price, Nana Abass explained that the current exchange rate plays a major role. “Now the dollar is about 10 cedis, but when you calculate, you cannot get the 49,000 cedis. It’s the exchange rate that affects it,” he said.

Nana Abass also rejected claims that cocoa farmers had been shortchanged, describing the new price as fair under current economic conditions. “We can’t always get everything 100%. We can only hope and pray for the best,” he added.

He urged cocoa farmers and the general public to remain calm and support the government’s ongoing efforts to uplift the cocoa sector. “This is the beginning. We must all calm down and pray for him and see what happens in the next cocoa season,” he said.