Cocoa purchasing clerks in the Eastern Region have expressed deep concern over the government’s recent reduction in the cocoa producer price, warning that the decision is pushing the local cocoa trading system into crisis.
At a press conference held in Asuokaw in the Lower West Akim Municipality, the clerks described the price cut as devastating to their operations and financial stability. They said the challenges began in November when delays in funding made it difficult to secure capital to purchase cocoa beans from farmers.
According to the clerks, many were compelled to take personal loans and borrow funds to sustain their businesses amid mounting pressure from farmers demanding prompt payment for their produce.
The situation, they said, worsened after the producer price was reduced from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per 64-kilogram bag. The reduction has left purchasing clerks unable to recover funds already used to buy cocoa at the previous price.
They explained that cocoa already delivered to depots is now generating losses, resulting in confusion and frequent disputes with farmers who insist on being paid at the former rate.
Some clerks further claimed that tensions have escalated to the point where they no longer feel secure in their homes, citing growing confrontations with farmers. They also criticized authorities for what they described as poor communication, arguing that they were not given prior notice of the price adjustment and were therefore exposed to significant financial risk.
Meanwhile, cocoa farmers in the region have also condemned the price reduction, describing it as a betrayal of earlier assurances and a threat to their livelihoods.
The farmers maintain that cocoa remains their primary source of income and argue that rising costs of fertiliser, labour, transportation, and agrochemicals make the new price unsustainable.
They have called for the immediate restoration of the GH¢3,625 producer price and renewed stakeholder consultations on fair pricing. Some have warned that failure to address their concerns could lead to peaceful demonstrations across cocoa-growing communities.
Both purchasing clerks and farmers say the ongoing situation reflects deeper structural challenges within the cocoa sector, with mounting debt, strained relationships, and declining confidence threatening stability in rural economies.
