The debate over the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s reduction in cocoa producer prices has spilled beyond the floor of Parliament into cocoa-growing communities in the Eastern Region.
Leading the charge is Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, who headed a delegation of Minority MPs on a tour of farming communities to engage cocoa producers directly.
The visit marks a new phase in the Minority Caucus’ campaign against what it calls an unjustified price cut that further burdens farmers already contending with rising production costs and economic pressure.
Government officials have defended the adjustment, attributing it to declining global cocoa prices and prevailing international market conditions.
They argue that as a commodity traded on the world market, cocoa prices are shaped largely by international supply and demand forces, leaving limited room for domestic manoeuvre.
But the Minority rejects that explanation, insisting that local farmers should not shoulder the full weight of global price volatility. According to the caucus, producers are already grappling with escalating input costs, including fertilizers, agrochemicals and labour, which have significantly squeezed profit margins.
Addressing farmers during the tour, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh described the reduction as a “rip-off,” contending that cocoa producers are being shortchanged despite their critical contribution to the national economy.
He argued that instead of reducing the producer price, the government should consider a targeted financial bailout or subsidy programme to cushion farmers and sustain production levels.
“The cocoa sector remains the backbone of Ghana’s economy and a major source of foreign exchange,” he stressed, adding that policies affecting the industry must prioritise farmer welfare, productivity and long-term sustainability.
The delegation included several high-profile Minority MPs, among them were; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Samuel Awuku and Gideon Boako, alongside other caucus members.
Their presence signalled the political significance the Minority is attaching to the issue and underscored a coordinated parliamentary pushback against the price policy.
The Eastern Region engagement, the caucus indicated, is only the beginning of a broader nationwide outreach to cocoa-growing areas.
The Minority says it will continue to press for measures that protect farmer incomes, strengthen incentives for production and secure the long-term viability of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
With the matter now resonating at the farm gate, the cocoa price controversy appears set to remain a major flashpoint in the ongoing contest over agricultural and economic policy.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
