GH₵6,000 Cocoa Price Proposed by Minority to Prevent Smuggling Surge

The Minority Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has issued a strong call to action, urging the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to immediately raise the cocoa producer price to GH₵6,000 per 64-kilogramme bag. At a press briefing held on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi, the group warned of dire economic and social consequences if urgent steps are not taken to honour promises made to cocoa farmers.

Addressing the media, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Committee for Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Isaac Yaw Opoku, accused the government of failing to deliver on key campaign pledges made during the 2024 general elections. One of those promises, he reminded Ghanaians, was to pay farmers a fair and competitive price for their cocoa—specifically GH₵6,000 per 64kg bag, which would reflect global market trends.

Currently, the producer price stands at GH₵3,000 per bag, equivalent to GH₵48,000 per tonne for the 2024/2025 crop season—a figure announced by the previous administration. While this was a notable improvement from earlier years, the Minority insists that the price still falls short of both international standards and the expectations set during the election campaign.

The Caucus voiced concern that the government’s failure to fulfill this commitment is not only an economic misstep but a betrayal of the country’s hardworking cocoa farmers. According to the group, these farmers deserve a greater share of the value generated from cocoa exports, especially considering the robust financial performance of COCOBOD in recent months. They referenced the purchase of over 560,000 tonnes of cocoa and over US$2 billion in reported earnings channeled through the Bank of Ghana as evidence that the institution can afford a price increase without jeopardizing financial stability.

In addition to issues of fairness, the Minority also pointed to serious national security risks. They warned that the current price disparity between Ghana and neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire, where farmers now receive more than GH₵3,600 per bag following a recent 22% price hike, could incentivize cross-border smuggling. With Ivorian prices significantly outpacing those in Ghana, cocoa beans could be illegally transported for better returns, ultimately undermining the country’s cocoa economy.

“If the government continues to ignore these realities, we risk seeing more of our farmers abandoning cocoa farming altogether. Many will turn to illegal mining and other risky ventures simply because they can no longer earn a decent living from their toil,” Opoku said.

The Minority also dismissed recent attempts by government and COCOBOD officials to attribute current challenges to external factors or previous administrations. They urged those in power to stop the “blame game” and instead take concrete action to protect the livelihoods of rural farmers who form the backbone of Ghana’s agricultural economy.

Highlighting the strategic importance of cocoa to the national economy, the Caucus stressed that this issue transcends partisan politics. “What is at stake is not just the income of farmers—it is the future of Ghana’s most valuable export and the economic stability of entire regions dependent on cocoa production,” they noted.

In closing, the Minority made a firm demand: the government must deliver on its campaign promise to raise the producer price to GH₵6,000 per bag and ensure that cocoa farmers receive at least 70% of the Free-On-Board (FOB) price. They cautioned that continued inaction would not only erode public trust but also expose the nation to increased economic sabotage and social unrest.

“No more excuses,” the statement concluded. “It’s time to honour the Ghanaian cocoa farmer with fair, just, and competitive compensation.”