A deepening wave of frustration is sweeping through Ghana’s cocoa-growing communities, as political leaders warn farmers against taking irreversible decisions that could jeopardise both their livelihoods and the future of the country’s cocoa sector.

Isaac Yaw Opoku, Minority Spokesperson on Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Offinso South, has appealed to aggrieved cocoa farmers not to cut down their cocoa trees or sell their farms to illegal miners commonly known as galamsey operators despite mounting anger over falling producer prices.

Addressing farmers at Asunsu No. 1 in the Dormaa Central Constituency of the Bono Region, as part of the Minority Caucus’ nationwide engagement with cocoa farmers, Opoku described such reactions as dangerous and short-sighted.

“Do not allow anger to push you into destroying your cocoa farms or handing them over to illegal miners. These farms are your future and your heritage,” he cautioned.

The appeal follows a controversial reduction in cocoa producer prices from GH¢3,600 to GH¢2,500 under the administration of John Dramani Mahama, a move that has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among farmers.

Dr. Opoku expressed confidence that an alternative administration led by Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would, if elected in 2028, restore favourable pricing and improve conditions for cocoa farmers.

He also issued a strong warning to the current government against any further reduction in producer prices, signaling a readiness by the Minority to escalate their response.

“Any further reduction will be fiercely resisted. We are prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers even if it means staging a naked demonstration,” he declared.

Reinforcing these concerns, Minority Chief Whip and Nsawam Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annor Dompreh, questioned the practicality of key campaign promises made to cocoa farmers by the ruling administration.

He cited pledges including a proposed cocoa price of GH¢6,000 and the provision of mechanised boreholes, noting that such commitments remain largely unrealised.

“There are no mechanised boreholes on the ground, and the price has rather been reduced from GH¢3,100 to GH¢2,500. Even more worrying, some farmers say they have not been paid for their produce,” he observed.

For many farmers, the situation has become increasingly unbearable.
Several cocoa farmers who participated in the engagement voiced their frustration over delayed payments for beans already sold, coupled with declining prices that threaten their survival.

“We are struggling to survive. We have sold our cocoa, yet payments are delayed, and prices keep falling. Government must act now, or we will be forced to respond,” one farmer lamented.

As tensions continue to mount across the cocoa belt, the unfolding developments highlight the fragile intersection of policy, politics, and rural livelihoods raising critical questions about the sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry and the urgent need for responsive leadership.

Reporting by Daniel Donkor-Bono Region