Hundreds of cocoa farmers took to the streets in Sefwi and surrounding cocoa-producing districts on Thursday to protest what they describe as a “betrayal” by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over the mid-season reduction of cocoa prices.
The demonstrators, including elderly farmers and women actively engaged in cocoa cultivation, expressed deep frustration at a government they say promised higher prices during the campaign but later reduced the farmgate price.
The demonstrations come amid a dramatic downward adjustment of the cocoa producer price, which saw the government slash the farmgate rate from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season.
Farmers in areas including Sefwi Wiawso, Bekwai, Asunafo, and Amenfi reported an effective 28.6% reduction in income per bag, a move they described as “economic punishment” against hardworking producers.
During the 2024 election campaign, the NDC pledged to pay cocoa farmers a fair share of world market prices, including promises of higher farmgate rates and additional incentives to improve productivity.
The NDC government also cited intentions to invest in irrigation systems and boreholes for cocoa farms as part of broader agricultural reforms under the “Feed Ghana” programme.
However, the reality has diverged sharply from these promises.
In February 2026, COCOBOD and the Ministry of Finance announced that falling international cocoa prices and liquidity constraints were behind the mid-season price reduction.
According to official figures, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) had earlier increased the price to reflect a 62.58% rise in dollar terms to US$5,040 per tonne, only to reduce it later to GH¢2,587 per bag—leaving farmers shocked and financially strained.
Many farmers say the government’s rationale is insufficient to justify the loss of income, noting that their production costs—including fertilisers, labour, and transportation—remain high.
Other farmers expressed concern that the price cut could encourage smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring Ivory Coast, where farmgate rates remain stable, further threatening the cocoa revenue and the livelihoods of smallholder producers.
Opposition MPs and stakeholders have condemned the move. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, stated in Parliament that the government must reconvene cabinet and restore the old price of GH¢3,625, emphasising that cocoa farming is a “matter of life and death” for more than one million Ghanaians dependent on the crop.
They also argue that the government’s messaging, blaming global market fluctuations, ignores internal mismanagement and operational inefficiencies within COCOBOD.
Meanwhile, calls have been made for more transparent pricing mechanisms and better communication with farmers to restore trust and prevent further disillusionment in the sector.
