The Minority in Parliament has taken its protest against the recent reduction in cocoa producer prices directly to farming communities, as Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, led a delegation of lawmakers on a tour of cocoa-growing areas in the Eastern Region.
The visit forms part of a sustained campaign by the Minority Caucus against what it describes as an unjustified price cut by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, which it says is worsening the economic hardship of cocoa farmers.
According to the Minority, the reduction comes at a time when farmers are already grappling with rising costs of fertilisers, agrochemicals, labour, and transportation.
The visit took the MPs to Abirem, Ofoase, and Kade.
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Addressing cocoa farmers in Abirem, the Minority Chief Whip described the price reduction as a rip-off, insisting that producers are being unfairly shortchanged. He argued that rather than cutting prices, the government should consider introducing a bailout or subsidy package to cushion farmers and sustain productivity in the sector.
“The cocoa industry remains a backbone of Ghana’s economy. Any policy affecting farmers must put their welfare first,” he stressed.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh added that protecting farmer incomes is crucial to safeguarding the country’s foreign exchange earnings and long-term economic stability.
The delegation included several senior Minority MPs, among them Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Isaac Yaw Opoku, Samuel Awuku, Ida Adjoa Asiedu, and Gideon Boako.
At Abirem, some cocoa farmers threatened to invoke curses against the President unless the government reverses the price cut, complaining that the decision has left them destitute and unable to cater for their children’s education or medical needs.
The farmers also demanded a return to the price instituted under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stating: “If you cannot give us what you promised, then give us what the Akufo-Addo administration offered.”
At Ofoase, farmers complained bitterly about financial hardships, claiming that the government’s announcement on the release of funds had not translated into actual payments at the farm gate.
Some indicated that they had yet to receive monies they had been told were already disbursed, raising questions about delays within the payment chain. Others lamented broader economic challenges, including unsold rice stocks in the area, which they attributed to increased inflows of imported rice affecting local demand.
MP for the area, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, assured the farmers that the Minority Caucus would hold the government accountable and push for transparency regarding cocoa payments and related interventions.
He emphasised that the fight was not a short-term political exercise but a sustained effort to protect farmer livelihoods and ensure fairness within the cocoa value chain.
At Kade, farmers also dismissed government claims that funds had been released, insisting they had yet to receive payments for their produce.
They also issued an ultimatum, warning that unless conditions improve drastically, some may be compelled to sell their cocoa farms to illegal gold miners (galamsey operators) as a means of survival.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh disclosed that the Eastern Region tour marks the beginning of a wider engagement programme with cocoa farmers across major producing regions.
According to him, the exercise is aimed at gathering first-hand information from farmers and strengthening advocacy for policies that promote fair pricing, improve incentives for production, and secure the future of the cocoa industry.
The Minority has pledged to continue pressing for reforms that protect farmer livelihoods and ensure the long-term viability of Ghana’s cocoa sector.