Kwaku Bimpeh is the Director of Communications, NPP UK
The Government of Ghana has officially reduced the cocoa producer price from GHS 3,600 to GHS 2,587 per bag. Let us call this what it is: a betrayal.
During the 2024 election campaign, the NDC stood before cocoa farmers and promised GHS 6,000 per bag. That promise was not whispered. It was broadcast. It was repeated.
It was weaponised politically to paint the previous government as uncaring and inadequate.
Today, instead of GHS 6,000, cocoa farmers are confronted with GHS 2,587.
That is not a shortfall.
That is not an adjustment.
That is a collapse of credibility.
The NDC lied to our cocoa farmers.
Cocoa Is the Backbone of Our Export Economy
Cocoa is not a marginal crop. It is one of Ghana’s most strategic economic pillars.
The cocoa sector contributes approximately 20–25 percent of Ghana’s total export earnings annually and generates between US$2 billion and US$3 billion in foreign exchange each year.
More than 800,000 cocoa farming households depend directly on cocoa production, with over 2 million Ghanaians relying on the sector for survival.
Cocoa stabilises rural economies. It supports education, healthcare, and local enterprise. It strengthens Ghana’s foreign exchange position.
When cocoa suffers, Ghana suffers.
From Promise to Punishment
Even at GHS 3,600 per bag, farmers were already under pressure. Input costs have risen sharply. Fertiliser prices have climbed. Labour and transportation costs have increased. Farm maintenance requires continuous investment.
Now the price has been slashed to GHS 2,587.
This decision effectively punishes farmers for believing campaign promises.
It undermines their ability to reinvest. It weakens production sustainability. It sends a dangerous signal that political rhetoric can override economic responsibility.
You cannot campaign on GHS 6,000 and then turn around and deliver GHS 2,587 without destroying trust.
The Dangerous Drift Toward Galamsey
There are already credible reports that cocoa farmers, squeezed by falling incomes, are selling or leasing land to illegal mining operators.
When cocoa becomes unprofitable, desperation takes over.
Illegal mining destroys fertile farmland. It pollutes rivers. It erodes soil quality. It devastates long-term agricultural productivity.
If farmers are pushed toward galamsey because cocoa no longer pays, that is not a farmer failure, it is a policy failure.
If There Is a Crisis, Say So
If the government cannot sustain higher cocoa prices due to fiscal constraints, global market conditions, or financing challenges, then it must say so openly.
Leadership requires honesty.
Do not campaign on GHS 6,000 if you cannot deliver it.
Do not blame farmers for believing you.
Do not quietly retreat from promises without accountability.
Transparency is not optional. It is a duty.
Ghana’s Reputation Is at Stake
Ghana is the second-largest cocoa producer in the world. Our global standing has been built on decades of sacrifice by hardworking farmers.
Policy inconsistency damages investor confidence, weakens farmer morale, and threatens long-term production stability.
You cannot build a strong export economy on broken promises.
Cocoa Farmers Deserve Respect
Cocoa farmers are not statistics. They are not voting blocks to be courted and discarded. They are the backbone of our rural economy and custodians of a strategic national asset.
They deserve:
• Fair pricing
• Honest leadership
• Policy consistency
• Protection from economic hardship
Instead, they have received reduction and reversal.
As Director of Communications for NPP UK, I stand firmly in solidarity with cocoa farmers across Ghana.
They were promised prosperity.
They have received austerity.
Ghana must demand better. And cocoa farmers deserve nothing less.
God bless Ghana and God bless our hard-working Cocoa farmers!
Source:
www.ghanaweb.com