The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has told Cocoa farmers in Ghana to remain calm as the Mahama government has prudent policies for them.
According to Asiedu Nketia, cocoa farmers must hold the Akufo-Addo government responsible for the ongoing mess in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
He asserted that the Mahama government has established a committee to investigate issues in the cocoa sector, and soon, Ghanaians will see the consequences.
Asiedu Nketia made this known during his thank-you tour in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa of the Central Region, urging cocoa farmers to remain patient.
However, Cocoa farmers in the Western North Region are protesting the John Mahama government’s decision to reduce the price of a 64kg cocoa bag from GHS 3,625 to GHS 2,587 for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.
According to them, they are suffering and want the old price restored.
In a video shared by UTV, the Western North cocoa farmers were spotted dressed in red, holding placards saying, “Mahama is dangerous than Ebola”, “Farmers’ lives matter”
Speaking during the Western North Farmers protest, one of the farmers stated, “As I am standing here, I look after my children’s school, and I use my cocoa to look after my children now that you have reduced the price of cocoa…, My child is going to the university, I have to pay 5000 cedis, now that the price have been reduced where will I get the money from to look after my children. Even what to eat has become very difficult for us”.
Another protester added, “The Government did not respect us at all, now they have reduced the price of cocoa, and we have already done our budget. Now that they have reduced the price, how are we going to get money? What the government did is not good; they should look for something better to tell us.
Meanwhile, Reports by Reuters suggest the Ivory Coast is considering reducing its guaranteed farm gate price paid to its cocoa farmers.
According to the reports, the Ivory Coast plans to reduce its farm gate price to align with Ghana’s 28.6% price cut.
Ghana and the Ivory Coast, the world’s two largest cocoa producers, are grappling with a deepening crisis in the sector.