The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi Central, Peter Kwakye-Ackah, has urged the government and cocoa leadership of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to consider cocoa farmers in their decision-making.
Speaking to Saddick Adams on Angel TV on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, he warned that if the government does not assist cocoa farmers, many of them may resort to cutting down their cocoa trees.
“I’m pleading with the government and leaders of cocoa, when they are doing something, they should think about cocoa farmers, the reality is that the majority of them will cut down their cocoa trees,” he advised.
Mr. Kwakye-Ackah emphasised that neglecting farmers could lead to an increase in illegal mining, also known as “galamsey”.
“This leads to the spread of galamsey because, if they don’t benefit from cocoa, when an illegal miner approaches them, they may sell their cocoa , even though it’s illegal,” he disclosed.
He further pointed out that in many villages, the conditions in which cocoa farmers live are dire.
“When you go to the villages, the houses the farmers sleep in are so pathetic, they have sacrificed, and they now sleep in bushes with no electricity, no water, no road, but they sacrificed for us,” he revealed.
Mr. Ackah appealed for action to revitalise the sector, calling for inclusive consultations and practical reforms.
“It’s time for Mahama to help gather those with ideas and ordinary people to restructure the cocoa sector. Cocoa used to be the backbone of the country, so if we don’t take care of it and it dies off, we will all be in trouble,”he added.
Source: Bertina Ofosu
