Akrodie: The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to set a deserving and fair producer price for cocoa farmers in the country.

According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, a Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, expressed concerns over what he described as the government's continuous deception on cocoa pricing issues. Addressing cocoa farmers at Akrodie in the Asunafo North Municipality of the Ahafo Region, Dr. Opoku, who is also the Member of Parliament for Offinso South, emphasized the need for a fair producer price when the new crop season opens in August.

Dr. Opoku explained that the Caucus was visiting the area to interact with cocoa farmers and help tackle emerging challenges they face. He criticized President John Dramani Mahama for not fulfilling his Election 2024 campaign promise to set the cocoa price at GHC6,000 per bag of 64 kilograms. This promise was a key point in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign against the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government's price of GHC3,100.

Highlighting the lack of progress, Dr. Opoku noted, "Sadly, seven months into the NDC administration, not even one pesewa has been added to the producer price of cocoa." He asserted that the NPP had been sensitive to the plight of cocoa farmers, acknowledging the sector's significant contributions to economic growth and development. He pointed out that successive NPP administrations had introduced several policies to enhance the socio-economic livelihoods of cocoa farmers.

The meeting also provided a platform for cocoa farmers to voice their disappointments and frustrations over the government's failure to fulfill the promised price of GHC6,000 per bag, as pledged during the 2024 election campaign.