Ranking Member of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, has warned the government and cocoa sector leadership against any further reduction in cocoa prices.
Addressing farmers at Kunsu in the Ahafo Ano South West District, he stated that the minority in Parliament would lead a naked demonstration should the government attempt another cut in cocoa prices.
“Because we are already reeling from the first-ever price cut in Ghana’s history, they think we are toothless, so they are planning to reduce it further,” the MP for Offinso South claimed. “I will strip naked and, together with the minority, protest in ‘adagya mu’ and march to the Presidency to demand what is best for the farmers.”
The minority caucus has been engaging cocoa farmers across the Ashanti Region as part of a five-day tour.
Dr. Yaw Opoku criticised the government’s justification for reducing cocoa prices, describing it as unconvincing.
He argued that the appreciation of the cedi should not be used as a reason to cut cocoa prices, noting that Ghana’s total cocoa revenue in 2025 was around $3.9 billion USD.
“They continue to claim that the value of the dollar has decreased. However, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana states that the government generated revenue of $3.9 billion USD from cocoa sales. Multiplying this amount by the current exchange rate of approximately 10 Ghana cedis per dollar yields 39 billion Ghana cedis,” he explained.
Dr. Yaw Opoku questioned why the government, despite such revenue, has not settled the GH₵11 billion owed to cocoa farmers.
“If the government has access to such a substantial amount, yet remains indebted to cocoa farmers to the tune of 11 billion cedis, the question arises as to why payment cannot be made. This situation suggests a lack of prioritisation towards the welfare of these farmers,” he said.
The MP also reminded the NDC administration of their unfulfilled promises, including a cocoa pension scheme and the “one cocoa farm, one polytank” initiative.
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