The Minority in Parliament has condemned the government’s decision to slash the cocoa producer price, calling it an unfair and unprecedented blow to hardworking farmers who have long sacrificed for the nation.
Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, voiced strong outrage during a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, February 12, 2026, shortly after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the reduction.
The new farmgate price, effective immediately, stands at GH¢41,392 per tonne (equivalent to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag), down from the earlier rate of GH¢51,660 per tonne—or GH¢3,625 per bag in recent adjustments—representing a cut of over GH¢1,000 per bag.
“This has never happened. Why are we treating cocoa farmers this way? The cocoa farmer has never enjoyed the full benefit of the FOB price. Cocoa farmers have sacrificed for this country,” Dr Opoku said.
He described the sharp reduction, amounting to nearly 30% in some calculations, as a betrayal, arguing that farmers deserve far better treatment amid ongoing challenges in the sector.
The MP went further demands parity in sacrifice stating, “If the cocoa farmer’s price is going to be reduced by almost 30 per cent, then everybody’s pay in this country should also be slashed by that margin. Is the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD’s salary and allowance going to be reduced by the same margin?”
Dr Opoku lamented the announcement as “a sad day for the country,” urging President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and reconsider the policy.
“Cocoa farmers deserve better,” he insisted, calling on the government to reverse the decision and prioritize the welfare of those who sustain one of Ghana’s most vital export industries.
The government’s move, approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), has been justified as a necessary response to plummeting global cocoa prices, which have fallen significantly from earlier highs, coupled with liquidity strains in the cocoa value chain.
Finance Minister Dr Forson had earlier explained that the adjustment aims to stabilize the sector, accelerate delayed payments to farmers, and align the farmgate price more realistically with international market realities.
However, the Minority views the cut as evidence of mismanagement and insensitivity, especially given previous assurances and the sector’s critical role in Ghana’s economy.
