Cocoa farmers demand an increase in the prices of cocoa

The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association is demanding an increase in the price of cocoa from GHc2,070 to Ghc6,000.

According to the cocoa farmers, this change is due to the high purchase of cocoa in the international market.

The cocoa farmers lamented their poor standard of living despite cocoa being one of Ghana’s biggest import commodities.

“These people are enriching themselves with the sweat of the cocoa farmer while the farmer who produces the cocoa is poor. The reason for our rants is simple, we are asking that a bag of cocoa should now be sold for Ghc6,000. We must be paid two-thirds of the money derived from selling this cocoa whereas the Cocoa Board should take just a percentage so we can improve our lives”. They demanded.

The spokesperson of the cocoa farmers Alhaji Imoro Issifu Alhassan shared a breakdown of how the cocoa is sold in the international market and the amount the government pays cocoa farmers.

According to him,  a kilo of cocoa is sold in Ghana at GHc32.34p which amounts to GHc2,070 for a bag of cocoa.  

He however disclosed that the government sells a kilo of cocoa to the international market at GHc120 meanwhile the farmers sell to the government as low as GHc32.34p.

According to him, the government sells a bag of cocoa to the international market at GHc7,680 whereas cocoa farmers are paid a paltry GHc2,000.

The farmers emphasized that the amount of money the government makes from selling the cocoa to the international market does not match the money the government pays them.