The Minority in Parliament has launched a strong and coordinated attack on government following the recent reduction in cocoa producer prices, describing the move as a ‘brutal haircut’ on farmers and a clear betrayal of campaign promises.
According to the Caucus, the decision reflects deep economic mismanagement and threatens the future of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Speaking after an emergency Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the lawmakers warned that the new pricing regime could trigger mass protests in cocoa-growing communities.
Addressing the media in Parliament, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee, questioned why government needed an emergency Cabinet meeting to resolve farmer payments.
Also read: Parliament launches 2026–2030 Corporate Strategic Plan, targets accountability and public trust
“When you have to call an emergency Cabinet meeting just to discuss how to pay cocoa farmers, then there is a real crisis in government,” he said. He argued that directing COCOBOD to pay farmers without providing liquidity was meaningless.
This, he said, presumes the money was available and COCOBOD was refusing to pay, arguing that what government should have done was release emergency liquidity.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, blamed the crisis on government’s failure to implement reforms introduced under the previous administration.
According to him, the previous Akufo-Addo administration developed a turnaround strategy for COCOBOD with the IMF, arguing that if the government had implemented it, COCOBOD would not be in present mess.
He averred that the strategy included transparent pricing, cost reductions, and improved efficiency, all of which were ignored.
“They did nothing for one year. Now that there is a crisis, they are improvising. I am surprised the IMF is sleeping over this,” he added.
Both Oppong Nkrumah and Amin Adam blamed government’s foreign exchange interventions for weakening cocoa exports.
Dr Amin Adam claimed massive dollar injections had artificially strengthened the cedi.
“When you overvalue your currency, your exports suffer. Ghana’s cocoa has become more expensive, and demand has fallen,” he explained.
Oppong Nkrumah supported this view, noting that government’s economic adjustments were now hurting farmers. “The real impact is being felt on cocoa farms, transport fares, and school fees,” he said.
Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, Ranking Member on the Agriculture, Food and Cocoa Affairs Committee, in his remarks accused government of abandoning its campaign pledges.
“Before the elections, they promised at least GH¢6,000 per bag. Today, they have slashed the price to GH¢2,587,” he lamented and described the reduction from GH¢3,625 as unprecedented.
“This has never, ever happened in this country,” he stressed. He recalled that farmers were once accused of being cheated under the previous government. “They called us wicked and said we were cheating farmers. Now look at what is happening,” he added.
Dr Opoku warned that some farms could even be sold to illegal miners or abandoned altogether. “If this continues, productivity and foreign exchange will collapse,” he warned.
The Minority demanded urgent government intervention to stabilise the sector including the removal of the COCOBOD Chief Executive.
“We respectfully ask the President to relieve the CEO of his responsibilities,” he stated and adding that if farmers’ incomes are cut by 30 percent, then salaries and allowances at the top should also be cut.
The Minority warned that the cocoa price reduction exposes fundamental weaknesses in government’s economic and agricultural policies.
They insist that unless urgent corrective measures are taken — including restoring promised prices, providing financial support to COCOBOD, and implementing long-delayed reforms — the cocoa sector could face long-term decline.