Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Akwasi Acquah, has called on the government to introduce a financial support package for cocoa farmers, warning that recent producer price reductions risk pushing thousands into hardship and threatening the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (4 March), Acquah argued that while the government attributes the price cut to movements on the global market, the state still has a responsibility to protect farmers’ incomes.
“Government must cushion these farmers,” he said. “Just as it supported the banks during the banking sector crisis, the same support should be extended to cocoa farmers whose livelihoods depend entirely on cocoa.”
He described the reduction as unprecedented, noting that farmers typically plan their finances around announced seasonal prices and should not be subjected to sudden cuts.
According to the lawmaker, feedback from the Minority’s recent visits to cocoa-growing communities shows growing distress among farmers and purchasing clerks. Many, he claimed, have not even received the reduced payments government says are being disbursed.
“We went around and none of the farmers could confirm that they had received the money,” he said. “Purchasing clerks who pre-financed the beans based on earlier prices are now struggling to recover their capital.”
Acquah said the situation goes beyond politics and touches on the survival of more than one million cocoa farmers nationwide. He cautioned that without urgent intervention, farmers may abandon cocoa cultivation for more profitable alternatives, including food crops or illegal mining.
“If we don’t encourage them to stay in cocoa farming, some will switch to cassava or even galamsey. That will collapse the industry,” he warned.
To fund a support package, the MP suggested government tap into windfall revenues from rising gold exports, arguing that Ghana should use gains from the mineral sector to stabilise cocoa, which has historically anchored the rural economy.
“Gold is finite, but cocoa has sustained us for decades. We can use the gold gains to support cocoa farmers,” he said.
Acquah also called for a broader review of the cocoa pricing formula and renewed investment in local processing to add value and improve returns to farmers. He said the Minority would continue its engagements with cocoa-growing regions and could push for further parliamentary action based on findings from the field.
“If we value cocoa as a nation, then we must protect the farmer first,” he added.
The comments come amid heightened debate over the health of Ghana’s cocoa industry, with stakeholders raising concerns about falling production, ageing farms and declining farmer confidence.
Source: asaaseradio.com
