The Minority Caucus in Parliament is demanding increased payments to cocoa farmers from the government, to fulfill their campaign promises during the 2024 general election.
The minority emphasised that no farmer should receive less than GHS3,800 for a bag of cocoa.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr. Isaac Opoku, stated that the Minority has consistently argued that the exchange rate being used as justification for the current cocoa price is untenable.
He said farmers should not be paid less under the prevailing conditions.
According to him, the Minority has always accused the government of failing to fulfill its promise to pay farmers at least GHS6,000 per bag, and hiding behind figures and complaints to determine cocoa prices.
“Ato Forson was heard saying they would pay for orders, buyers’ margin, warehousing, disinfestation, and the scale used in weighing cocoa. These have existed for years, so we asked weren’t they aware of all this when they were making campaign promises?
“They promised that the least they would price a bag of cocoa is GHC6,000, to the extent that Ato Forson even mentioned they would pay GHC7,000. That influenced the farmers, and they voted massively for the NDC,” Dr. Opoku said.
He added that although the Minority has described the recent price increment as “Sakawa,” it is also urging farmers not to prioritize others’ interests over their own livelihoods.
Commenting on the government’s announcement to provide free inputs and fertilizers to farmers, Dr. Opoku noted that such initiatives are not new, and that farmers must have the freedom to manage their farms independently.
The Minority also called on the government to implement original policies instead of taking credit for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) achievements.
“They claimed they would provide free insecticides, fertilizers, and spraying machines. If that’s the case, they should boldly name one intervention they have introduced.”
He expressed his belief that President Akufo-Addo will be remembered positively for addressing key issues in the cocoa sector during his presidency.
“As for Nana Akufo-Addo, I know he will be remembered in the near future because, under his tenure, one of the key issues facing the cocoa industry, the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) was addressed,” he said, while acknowledging the opposition’s role in adopting effective strategies to manage the sector.
