Minority kicks against GH¢3,228 cocoa price, warns of galamsey threat and smuggling
By Eugene Davis
The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over the government’s newly announced farm gate price of GH¢3,228.75 per 64-kilogram bag of cocoa, citing it as only a marginal increase from the current price of GH¢3,100.00.
They argue that the new rate falls short of expectations and may discourage farmers, potentially driving them to lease their cocoa farms to illegal miners (galamsey operators) or resort to smuggling cocoa across border regions. The Minority is therefore urging a review of the price to better reflect the economic realities of cocoa farmers and safeguard the sector.
Addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps(PPC) at Parliament House in Accra, the Ranking Member for Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku said “this new price of GH¢3,228.75/bag is completely unacceptable and has to be reviewed immediately to motivate our cocoa farmers and prevent the temptation of farmers giving their cocoa farms out to galamsey operators. We must safeguard our cocoa industry, protect our farmers’ livelihoods and maintain Ghana’s enviable position in the industry. The government must come again and offer a better price”
He also indicated that presently the Ivorian farmer at the current exchange rate, is receiving the equivalent of GH¢3,635 per 64kg bag of cocoa, a staggering GH¢407 more than Ghana.
This stark difference presents an irresistible incentive for smugglers to divert Ghanaian cocoa across the border, potentially leading to a mass exodus of our prized main crop beans from the border regions, particularly Western South, Western North, Brong Ahafo and Volta.
“Cocoa farmers deserve far better for their toil and sacrifices for their enormous contribution to the economy of the country. They cannot be taken for granted all the time. The deception must stop!
This new farm gate price of GH¢3,228.75/bag is ridiculous, laughable, comical, absurd, shameful, unfair and a stab in the back of cocoa farmers. This is complete “SAKAWA” and unacceptable.” Dr. Opoku stated.
According to the Ranking Member who is also the Member of Parliament for Offinso South, ahead of the December 7 elections, then-opposition NDC figures Hon. (Dr.) Eric Opoku and Hon. (Dr.) Cassiel Ato Forson promised cocoa farmers a producer price of GH¢6,000 and GH¢7,000 per bag respectively. Now in government as Ministers for Agriculture and Finance, these promises remain unfulfilled.
The Minority is demanding clarity on COCOBOD’s claim that the 2025/2026 farm gate price will exceed that of Côte d’Ivoire, where farmers currently earn GH¢3,635 per 64kg bag—GH¢407 more than Ghanaian farmers. This price gap risks fueling cross-border smuggling.
They also questioned the President’s earlier pledge to pay 70% of the FOB price to farmers, a commitment made during his thank-you tour of the Bono and Western North Regions, which has yet to materialize.
The Minority also contend that cocoa farmers are disappointed as promised pricing falls short -to the caucus, when the world market price for cocoa hit $10,000/ton, the NDC pushed for a producer price of GH¢6,000 per bag. With prices now peaking at $12,000/ton—and currently at $8,211.23/ton—farmers expected more.
Applying the President’s promise of paying 70% of the FOB price, cocoa farmers should be earning GH¢3,718 per bag (70% of GH¢5,311.64), not the announced GH¢3,228.75.
The Minority questioned whether this lower figure is what the President meant when he said farmers would be “very, very, very happy.” Instead, farmers are disappointed and feel let down.
Government data shows that in the 2023-24 season about 150,000 tonnes of cocoa beans were smuggled out of Ghana.
Ghana, the world’s second-largest producer, has a similar setup to Ivory Coast, with the Cocobod acting as a central buyer. Output in Ghana fell to its lowest in more than a decade last season. Smuggling exacerbated the supply shortfall.
