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COCOBOD no longer serves farmers – Kofi Bentil alleges

Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has criticised how Ghana’s cocoa sector is being managed, accusing the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of neglecting farmers.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 23, Mr. Bentil said cocoa money once funded important national projects, but today the situation is different.

He gave the University of Ghana as an example, explaining that part of its funding came from contributions taken from every bag of cocoa. “The idea was simple — take a little from every bag of cocoa to build something for the whole nation. That’s why we have the University of Ghana and why one of its halls is called Akuafo Hall,” he said.

Mr. Bentil said he is unhappy that cocoa wealth no longer benefits farmers directly. Instead, he claimed, people in Accra are the ones enjoying it. “People sitting in Accra who don’t even know what a cocoa tree looks like are the ones enjoying the benefits,” he said. “It makes no sense to take money from hardworking farmers and give it to people in suits, sitting in air-conditioned offices.”

He also accused COCOBOD of being too large and wasteful. “Just look at how many people COCOBOD employs,” he stated. “These people are supposed to be helping farmers, but instead, they are draining them.”

According to him, closing down COCOBOD could actually improve things. “If we scrap COCOBOD today, farmers will be better off, and the economy will be stronger. Farmers can organise themselves,” he added.

His comments come as some cocoa farmers complain that the recent increase in the producer price of cocoa is still not enough.

The government recently raised the price from US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne for the 2025/2026 season, effective Thursday, August 7, 2025. At an exchange rate of GH¢10.25 to the dollar, this means farmers will now earn GH¢51,660 per tonne or GH¢3,228.75 per 64kg bag.

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson explained that the increase represents a 62.58% rise in dollar terms and fulfils President John Mahama’s promise to give farmers at least 70% of the Free-On-Board (FOB) value.