The Minority Caucus in Parliament has launched a five-day tour of the Ashanti Region, beginning with a courtesy call on the Chief of Offinso, Nana Dwamena Akenten II, as part of efforts to engage cocoa farmers over concerns about the recent reduction in cocoa prices.
The delegation, led by the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, met the Offinsomanhene to formally brief him on their planned interactions with cocoa farmers across the region.
According to Annoh-Dompreh, the visit aimed to seek the traditional ruler’s blessings and support for the exercise, given his role in overseeing Asanteman in the absence of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
He explained that the five-day tour is intended to gather firsthand information from cocoa farmers about the challenges they are facing following the government’s recent decision to reduce cocoa prices.
The Minority Chief Whip indicated that the caucus plans to compile the concerns raised by farmers and present a report to the Asantehene, seeking his intervention to address the situation and possibly influence a review of the decision.
He added that the Minority remains committed to advocating for the welfare of cocoa farmers across the country, particularly at a time when many producers are grappling with rising production costs and other economic pressures.
In his response, the Offinsomanhene, Nana Dwamena Akenten II, urged the Minority Caucus to handle farmers’ concerns with fairness and responsibility, emphasizing that issues affecting cocoa farmers should be treated as a national concern rather than partisan political debates.
The Ashanti Region, one of Ghana’s key cocoa-producing areas, is expected to provide a platform during the tour for farmers to share their concerns and expectations regarding government policies affecting the cocoa sector.
