‘Why not cut COCOBOD staff salaries too?’ — Ghana Farmers Assoc. questions fairness of cocoa price reduction

The spokesperson of the Ghana Farmers Association, Nana Aduna II, has criticised recent developments in the cocoa sector, arguing that farmers are unfairly bearing the brunt of policy decisions.

Speaking on JoyNews AM Show, Nana Aduna II questioned why cocoa farmers appear to be the only group affected, especially at a time when many have reportedly gone unpaid for months.

“The question we would like to ask is, why are only farmers taking the hit?” he said. “When you look at the trajectory of our cocoa system, there’s the farmer, the haulage system, licensed buying companies, and COCOBOD. That’s before the beans are even exported. So why is the farmer alone taking the hit?”

He maintained that if cost-cutting measures were necessary, they should have been applied across the value chain — beginning with administrative expenditure, staff salaries and government margins — rather than reducing farmers’ earnings.

“The first step should have been to reduce the salaries of staff and the margins that the government makes by the same amount,” he stated. “If COCOBOD staff were also affected, it would create a fairer system and a level playing field for farmers.”

Nana Aduna II further expressed concern about the weakening of farmer groups over the years, which he said has undermined their capacity for collective bargaining and effective resistance.

“Farmer groups have been made poor and weakened over time. There is very limited collective bargaining. So how do we fight back? What tools do we have? Do we just put our hands behind our backs?” he asked.

He emphasised the importance of understanding the historical trajectory of Ghana’s cocoa industry to fully appreciate the persistent inequities faced by farmers, despite their central role in the sector.

His remarks follow the government’s announcement of a new farmgate cocoa price of GH₵41,392 per tonne for the 2025–2026 season, equivalent to GH₵2,587 per bag.

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