The Ranking Member for Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs in Parliament, Eric Opoku, has slammed the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for shortchanging cocoa farmers in its new cocoa producer price increment.
The MP for Asunafo south explained that the price of cocoa on the world market has gone up such that farmers of the commodity in Ghana must be paid GHS9,700 for a 64 kilogramme bag of cocoa beans.
“The world market price for cocoa has gone up and you know Ghana has the best cocoa beans on the market. Our calculations indicate that the price per a ton of cocoa has gone up. The government is supposed to pay GHS 9,700 to every farmer for a bag of cocoa,” he explained.
He also explained that Ghana Cocoa Board has not been working in the interest of the farmers who toil to grow and harvest cocoa in remote areas.
Speaking on Dwaboase on Power FM, the legislator argued that COCOBOD spends huge sums of money on its administration operations rather than channeling them to the farmers who suffer to produce cocoa.
According to him, if the government does not increase the price of cocoa for farmers, Ghana will lose thousands of tonnes of cocoa to Ivory Coast which is paying farmers realistic prices for the commodity.
“We are losing our cocoa beans to Ivory Coast because they are buying the beans at good rates. Ivory Coast has farm gate price and whoslesale price for cocoa. They are buying a ton for $3,060 for a ton while Ghana’s is low,” the MP said while urging COCOBoD to act swiftly.
His comment comes after the Government has announced a 45 percent increase in the producer price of cocoa for the 2024/2025 crop season last month.
By the 45 percent increas, a 64 kilogramme bag of cocoa beans has increased to GH¢3,000 from GH¢2,070.
At the beginning of the 2023/2024 crop season, a bag of 64kg of cocoa beans was sold at GH¢1,300 and was subsequently increased to GH¢2,070 when the spot price went up on the world market under the same period.
Mr Opoku assured that the next NDC government will boost cooa production and give farmers what is due them, adding that their bonuses will be paid on time.
He stated that one of the policies that boosted cocoa production under the Mahama administration, the free fertilizer programme, will be restored to support farmers in the cocoa value chain.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
