By: Ashiadey Dotse
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Anertey Abbey, has assured cocoa farmers that they will receive better prices for their produce, despite the challenges facing the cocoa sector.
Speaking at a farmers’ rally in Attronso, in the Western North Region, Dr. Abbey said COCOBOD is reviewing the price farmers will be paid for cocoa in the 2025/2026 season. This, he said, is to improve the lives of farmers and make cocoa farming more attractive to young people.
“Even though we are facing financial difficulties, we are determined to pay cocoa farmers more,” he said.
Dr. Abbey also expressed concern about the ageing cocoa farmer population. He said it is important to attract more young people into farming. He explained that COCOBOD is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to modernize cocoa farming by introducing new tools and equipment.
He also talked about the effects of climate change on cocoa farming. Dr. Abbey said COCOBOD will focus on building irrigation systems to help farmers deal with unpredictable rainfall. He encouraged farmers to form cooperatives to make irrigation projects easier and more affordable.
“We can’t build irrigation systems for each farmer. It’s expensive, and illegal mining has affected water access. But we can do more through cooperatives,” he explained.
Dr. Abbey also spoke about plans to strengthen laws that protect cocoa farms from destruction, especially from illegal mining activities. He called cocoa farming a source of “generational wealth” and said strong laws are needed to protect it.
He assured farmers that fertilizers and other chemicals will be delivered on time. He warned against the misuse or theft of these supplies and said anyone involved in such actions will face punishment.
