Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader in Parliament, has said Ghanaian cocoa farmers would receive more than twice the price offered to farmers in the Ivory Coast.
The Majority leader cited a Reuters report showing that the Ivory Coast will pay cocoa farmers 800 to 1,000 CFA francs per kilogramme from March 1.
He explained that the 800 to 1,000 CFA francs per kilogramme will be equivalent to around 980 to 1,225 Ghana cedis per 64kg bag.
Speaking on the floor of parliament after John Dramani Mahama delivered the 2026 State of the Nation Address, Mahama Ayariga stated, “Mr Speaker, it seems today is about cocoa prices. I can understand. Mr Speaker, let me read Reuters today. Reuters has confirmed, Ivory Coast will pay cocoa farmers 800 to 1,000 CFA francs per kilogramme for the mid-crop starting March 1.
The main crop price was 2,800 CFA francs per kilogramme. When converted to Ghana cedis, this is about 980 to 1,225 Ghana cedis per 64kg bag,” he said.
Also, President John Dramani Mahama has said his government’s decision to reduce the cocoa producer price is difficult but necessary.
Mahama explained that the reduction was aimed at addressing acute liquidity challenges within the cocoa sector.
According to John Mahama, maintaining the previous price would have compelled the government to borrow billions, which he says could have taken the country back into economic difficulties.
Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament, President Mahama explained, “Mr Speaker, a nation that does not learn from past mistakes cannot get out of the cycle of problems that impose hardship on its citizens.
We have just begun to emerge from the most devastating economic crisis in our nation’s recent history. This crisis was triggered by general financial indiscipline, huge deficits and massive debt occasioned by persistent unbudgeted expenditure to meet the ends of convenient politicking.
In the last few weeks, we have had to take the painful but necessary decision to revise the producer price of Cocoa to achieve competitive pricing and resolve acute liquidity challenges in the sector. Failure to do so would have meant pumping in billions of borrowed funds”.
He added, “This unplanned expenditure would have taken us right back to the very devastating economic problems we have only recently begun to escape.
So, while fully understanding the concerns and protests of our farmers, I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by the government will see a total transformation of the sector and guarantee them a fair price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and make decent margins.
The difference between economic hardships and avoiding the same is the exercise of sound economic judgement, and I am determined to take decisions that ensure our collective wellbeing and avoid suffering for all our citizens.”
Watch the video below:
#SONA2026: According to Reuters, Ghana is paying cocoa farmers twice what is being paid to farmers in Ivory Coast. NPP 'ayɛ mobo dodo'." – Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader#3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/H5mAPaDdJj
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 27, 2026