Accra, Ghana – The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has strongly criticized government’s decision to reduce the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,625 per bag to GH¢2,587 per bag, describing the move as illegal and a direct attack on Ghana’s cocoa farmers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Effutu MP argued that the existing producer price forms part of a Minimum Guaranteed Price (MGP) regime that is legally binding for the entire 2025/2026 crop season.
“You Cannot Cut a Guaranteed Price Midway”
According to Afenyo-Markin, Ghana’s cocoa crop season runs officially from October 1 to September 30, and once the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) determines and announces the price for a crop year, it remains binding until the season ends.
He explained that the producer price is derived from an achieved weighted average FOB price based on cocoa volumes already traded and contracts locked in with international buyers.
“Once the FOB price sharing is done and announced for a crop year, the producer price that arises is binding on Government and COCOBOD to pay throughout that crop year,” he stressed.
He insisted that while government may increase prices during the season if conditions improve, it cannot reduce the price to the disadvantage of farmers.
Reference to Finance Minister’s Announcement
The Minority Leader recalled that in October 2025, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced that Ghana had achieved a FOB price of US$7,200 per tonne, translating into a producer price of GH¢58,000 per tonne (GH¢3,625 per bag) for farmers.
He argued that if that FOB price was indeed based on actual achieved contracts and not speculation, then government is legally obligated to maintain the agreed producer price until the end of the 2025/26 crop season.
Call for Immediate Restoration
Afenyo-Markin is demanding:
• Immediate restoration of the producer price to GH¢3,625 per bag
• Payment of any outstanding differences already suffered by farmers
• Compensation for Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) affected by the price adjustment
He warned that failure to reverse the decision would further erode confidence in Ghana’s cocoa pricing regime and could have serious implications for farmer livelihoods and the broader cocoa value chain.
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Political Implications
The cocoa pricing controversy is expected to generate intense debate in Parliament in the coming days, as the Minority pushes for accountability from government and the Ghana Cocoa Board.
With cocoa serving as a major foreign exchange earner for Ghana, the issue has quickly evolved beyond economics into a politically charged national discussion.
Stay with Our Democracy News for more updates on this developing story.
