The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged the government to immediately clear outstanding payments owed to cocoa farmers, saying producers were more concerned about receiving their money than hearing policy explanations.
Speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony organised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Sunday (15 February), Afenyo-Markin criticised recent government reforms in the cocoa sector, which include a reduction in the producer price for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season.
The government last week announced that the producer price had been adjusted to 41,392 cedis per tonne, or 2,587 cedis per bag, equivalent to 90% of the achieved free-on-board price of $4,200 per tonne. Officials said the move was aimed at cushioning farmers against falling global cocoa prices.
Financial strain
Afenyo-Markin, who represents Effutu in parliament, said the adjustment had instead deepened the financial strain on farmers already facing months-long payment delays.
“Farmers were previously paid 3,625 cedis per bag. Today, the government has reduced that to 2,587 cedis,” he said, accusing authorities of worsening conditions in the sector.
He said the issue went beyond public communication, warning that the opposition would press the matter in parliament in the coming days.
“The farmers want their money, and they must be paid,” he said.
Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, and the sector supports hundreds of thousands of rural households while providing a key source of foreign exchange.
Source: asaaseradio.com
