The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, has urged the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to immediately pay cocoa farmers for beans sold since November 2025, warning that continued delays are pushing farmers and the cocoa sector into crisis.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 5, Mr. Opoku said the Minority Caucus is deeply troubled by the worsening plight of cocoa farmers, many of whom have gone unpaid for more than three months.
He explained that Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) have been unable to pay farmers because COCOBOD has failed to reimburse them for cocoa already delivered.
According to him, COCOBOD currently owes LBCs over GH¢10 billion, leaving the companies cash-strapped and unable to continue purchasing cocoa.
“As a result, farmers are being forced to sell their cocoa on credit, at huge discounts, or return home with their produce unsold,” Mr. Opoku said, warning that the situation poses serious risks to the cocoa industry and the national economy.
He accused the government and COCOBOD of neglecting their responsibility to reimburse LBCs, many of which borrowed from banks and off-taker traders to pre-finance cocoa purchases. He dismissed claims by COCOBOD that sufficient funds had been released to support cocoa buying, describing such statements as misleading.
“The reality is that farmers have not been paid for cocoa sold since November last year,” he stressed.
Mr. Opoku painted a bleak picture of the human impact of the payment delays, citing cases of farmers who can no longer afford medication, pay school fees, or care for sick relatives. He added that some farmers were forced to forgo Christmas celebrations for the first time due to non-payment.
He also criticised the government for failing to fulfil campaign promises made ahead of the December 7 elections.
According to him, leading figures, including Dr. Eric Opoku and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, had promised producer prices of GH¢6,000 and GH¢7,000 per bag, respectively. However, the current farmgate price stands at GH¢3,625 per 64kg bag, far below those commitments.
Mr. Opoku further expressed concern over reports that the government may consider reducing the producer price to clear outstanding payments, describing such a move as a betrayal of trust.
He accused the government of worsening hardship instead of addressing cocoa smuggling, contrary to promises in the NDC manifesto, and alleged that wasteful administrative spending and mass staff transfers within COCOBOD had aggravated the financial situation.
The Ranking Member warned that delayed payments threaten not only farmers but also the survival of indigenous cocoa buying companies and transporters whose capital has been locked up.
The Minority Caucus is therefore demanding the immediate payment of all outstanding cocoa beans sold, full reimbursement of LBCs, and prompt settlement of future cocoa taken-over receipts. They also called on the government and COCOBOD to apologise to farmers, stressing that timely payment is a duty, not a favour.
“Cocoa farmers are not beggars. Paying them on time is an obligation,” Mr. Opoku said.
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