Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has slammed the John Mahama-led government following the slash in cocoa price for farmers.
The NPP Director of Communications argued that President Mahama claims Ghana’s economy is doing well and questioned why the President is unable to pay cocoa farmers.
According to Richard Ahiagbah, the NDC government is insensitive to cocoa farmers, as they have budgeted more than GHS 2.6 billion for luxury aircraft for the President’s comfort.
In a post shared on X, Richard Ahiagbah stated, “The killer reduction in cocoa prices is evidence of the NDC’s insensitivity to cocoa farmers, especially given that the government has budgeted more than GHS 2.6 billion for luxury aircraft for the President’s comfort. Is it the case that cocoa farmers don’t matter?
President Mahama says Ghana’s economy is doing well, yet he is unable to pay cocoa farmers. Why is that? Is it because cocoa farmers don’t matter?
Cocoa farmers deserve better than a slap in the face and a stab in the back after they voted for the NDC to come to power on the back of false campaign promises.
President Mahama must apologise and reverse the reduction in cocoa prices…
Cocoa farmers must not accept this killer reduction, a gross abuse of the government’s monopoly power…
This is insensitive, plain and simple…”.
Also, Nana Aduna II, the spokesperson of the Ghana Farmers Association, has questioned the fairness of the cocoa price reduction.
Speaking on JoyNews AM Show, Nana Aduna II quizzed why only cocoa farmers are taking the hit and not COCOBOD staff salaries too.
According to Nana Aduna II, if COCOBOD staff are also taking a hit on their salaries, too, it would create a fairer system and a level playing field for farmers.
Nana Aduna II on the show stated, “The question we would like to ask is, why are only farmers taking the hit? When you look at the trajectory of our cocoa system, there’s the farmer, the haulage system, licensed buying companies, and COCOBOD. That’s before the beans are even exported. So why is the farmer alone taking the hit?”
“The first step should have been to reduce the salaries of staff and the margins that the government makes by the same amount,” he stated.
“If COCOBOD staff were also affected, it would create a fairer system and a level playing field for farmers.
“Farmer groups have been made poor and weakened over time. There is very limited collective bargaining. So how do we fight back? What tools do we have? Do we just put our hands behind our backs?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced a revised cocoa price of 64kg cocoa bag from GHS 3,625 to GHS 2,587 for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.
According to Ato Forson, the decision comes after the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), under his chairmanship, convened earlier in the day to assess the challenges facing the Cocoa sector.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, February 12, Dr Forson disclosed, “The PPRC has recommended that the farmer be paid 90% of the achieved gross fob of USD 4,200 per tonne”.
He added that the committee set the new producer price at GH₵41,392 per tonne, equivalent to GH₵2,587 per bag, effective immediately.
“As a result of that, the PPRC thereby announces that effective today, Thursday, 12th February, 2026, the new producer price for the remainder of the 2025, 2026 crop season will now be GH 41, 392 per tonne and 2,587 per bag,” he noted.
“This measure is necessary to enable the expedited payment of farmers and to guarantee the sustainability of our cocoa industry,” he said.
See the post below:
The killer reduction in cocoa prices is evidence of the NDC's insensitivity to cocoa farmers, especially given that the government has budgeted more than GHS 2.6 billion for luxury aircraft for the President's comfort. Is it the case that cocoa farmers don't matter?
— Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) February 13, 2026
President… pic.twitter.com/vVxivSdKHd