Minority slams government over GH₵3,228 cocoa price 

The Minority in Parliament has fiercely condemned the government’s newly announced cocoa producer price of GH₵3,228.75 per 64kg bag, describing it as a gross betrayal of Ghana’s cocoa farmers.

According to the minority caucus, the price is not only woefully inadequate but also undermines the sacrifices of farmers who sustain one of Ghana’s most important economic sectors.

At a press briefing held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, labelled the new pricing regime “ridiculous, laughable, comical, absurd, shameful, unfair, and a stab in the back of cocoa farmers.” He called on the government to immediately review the price upward to reflect fairness and economic reality.

The new producer price was announced by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who chairs the Producer Price Review Committee. It represents a 62.58% increase in the cocoa producer price — moving from US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne. In Ghana cedis, this translates to GH₵49,600 to GH₵51,660 per tonne, or GH₵3,228.75 per 64kg bag. The increase is scheduled to take effect on Thursday, August 7, 2025.

Dr. Opoku expressed concern that the price falls far below the expectations of cocoa farmers, especially in the context of recent hikes in international cocoa prices. He warned that the low remuneration could demotivate farmers and drive many to lease their farmlands to illegal miners, thereby escalating Ghana’s already dire galamsey crisis.

He also criticised the government for failing to honour its 2024 campaign promise to pay cocoa farmers GH₵6,000 per bag. “What was the motive of the NDC when they insisted, while in opposition, that the then government should have paid cocoa farmers at least GH₵6,000 per bag?” he asked. “Would the NDC government now admit they were reckless in their demand for the then government to pay between GH₵6,000 and GH₵7,000 per bag?”

The Ranking Member argued that, even using conservative calculations, the government should have set the price at no less than GH₵3,718 per bag based on global market trends and the current exchange rate. “Is this what His Excellency was referring to when he said cocoa farmers would be very happy when the producer price was announced in August? Today, can he honestly tell cocoa farmers whether they are happy or not?” he questioned.

Dr. Opoku said cocoa farmers deserve better and should not be taken for granted. He accused the government of engaging in deception and “sakawa” pricing. “The deception must stop. Cocoa farmers matter and demand better,” he declared.