The Ranking Member for Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs in Parliament, Hon. Eric Opoku has assured cocoa farmers in the country of the NDC’s commitment to improve their lives when voted to power.
Mr Opoku who is also the Legislator for Asunafo South in the Ahafo Region host of Dwaboase on Power FM, Kwame Minkah, that although cocoa prices have gone up, the government did not give the poor farmers what is due them.
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 who is passionate about agriculture said cocoa farmers have been shortchanged with the new price, stressing that the government is only paying for 30 percent of the price of cocoa to farmers.
“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.
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
