The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to develop policy alternatives aimed at addressing challenges facing Ghana’s cocoa sector.
His remarks come in the wake of the government’s decision to maintain the cocoa producer price at GH¢41,392 per tonne, equivalent to GH¢2,587 per bag, for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season, a move that has sparked concerns among cocoa farmers and industry stakeholders.
In response to the concerns, a Minority Select Committee was formed to tour cocoa-growing communities and engage directly with farmers on issues affecting the sector. The committee, led by Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, gathered views and recommendations from cocoa farmers across the country.
Speaking during the presentation of the committee’s report, Dr. Bawumia said the findings would be submitted to the party’s Policy Committee on Agriculture, Food Security and Agribusiness for a comprehensive review.
According to him, the committee will be tasked with consulting industry experts and developing practical, costed policy proposals to address the concerns raised by cocoa farmers.
“What I am looking at with the presentation of this report is to take this Select Committee report to the Policy Committee on Agriculture, Food Security and Agribusiness. We are going to ask this committee to technically review the findings, consult experts in the area, and then bring forward costed policy alternatives for us,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia noted that the proposed alternatives would form part of broader efforts to revitalise the cocoa sector, improve the welfare of farmers and ensure the long-term sustainability of one of Ghana’s most important export industries.
The recommendations are expected to contribute to ongoing national discussions on improving producer incomes, enhancing productivity and strengthening the overall performance of the cocoa sector.
