Some cocoa farmers in the Birim North District of Ghana’s Eastern Region have accused the Minority caucus in Parliament of bringing individuals they describe as “strangers” into their farms to impersonate cocoa farmers and speak against government policies on cocoa pricing.
According to the farmers, the individuals who were bused into the district to comment on the recent reduction in cocoa prices were not genuine cocoa farmers.
Speaking to the media, some farm owners claimed that many of those presented as farmers were illegal miners and commercial motorbike riders, popularly known as “Okada” operators.
They insisted that the real cocoa farmers in the area were not consulted or involved in the engagement.
“The people who were brought here are not cocoa farmers. Most of them are illegal miners and Okada riders,” one of the farmers alleged, adding that the situation appeared to be politically motivated.
The farmers acknowledged that cocoa prices on the international market have dropped significantly, affecting farmgate prices in Ghana. However, they cautioned against politicizing the issue.
They expressed support for the current pricing arrangement introduced by the government led by John Dramani Mahama, which fixes the cocoa producer price at about 70 percent of the Free On Board (FOB) price.
Some of the farmers also argued that the opposition New Patriotic Party should not present itself as defending cocoa farmers, claiming that farmers did not fully benefit from the sharp rise in global cocoa prices during the party’s time in government.
Meanwhile, global cocoa prices have seen a significant decline in recent months. As of early March 2026, international cocoa prices were trading between about $3,000 and $3,200 per metric ton on New York futures markets.
Industry analysts say prices have fallen by approximately 40 percent since the beginning of the year and about 75 percent from the record highs recorded in 2024.
The global cocoa market is currently experiencing volatility amid expectations of a production surplus in the 2025/2026 season.
Neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire — the world’s largest cocoa producer — recently reduced its producer price to between about $1.45 and $1.81 per kilogram. This is lower than Ghana’s fixed producer price of about $2.10 per kilogram, a situation analysts say could create regional marketing imbalances.
Despite the market challenges, the Birim North farmers maintain that the current government policy provides a relatively fair arrangement under prevailing global conditions.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
