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The Minority in Parliament has called on President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Randy Abbey, over what it describes as a deepening crisis in the cocoa sector.
According to the Minority, the recent reduction in the cocoa producer price will have severe consequences for farmers and their families. The group estimates that the approximately 28.6 percent cut will negatively impact more than one million cocoa farmers across the country.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 12, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, criticised the government’s decision to lower the price.
“This places an unfair burden on our cocoa farmers, who are already struggling with rising costs. The Minority will not remain silent on this matter, and we are prepared to support farmers should they decide to protest against the reduction in the producer price,” he said.
The comments come after the government announced a revised cocoa producer price of GH¢41,392 per tonne, or GH¢2,587 per bag, for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season, effective Thursday, February 12.
The new rate represents a significant reduction from the initial price of GH¢51,660 per tonne set at the start of the season.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has defended the move, stating that the adjustment was necessitated by changes in global cocoa market conditions and is intended to stabilise the sector, restore confidence, and ensure timely payments to farmers.
