A cocoa farmer has described as “insulting and disrespectful” the new price for a sack of cocoa beans as announced on Wednesday, October 5.
According to Mark Ewusi Arkoh, who is also the National Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention (PNC), per the current economic conditions and high cost of living, a minimum of GH¢925 should have been settled for the price.
The Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday, October 5 announced a 21 percent increase in cocoa price per sack and this translates to GH¢800.
“We are not happy about this increase and we expect COCOBOD to as a matter of urgency review the price upward,” Mr Arkoh said in a statement on Thursday, October 6.
“This increase is insignificant in comparison to the hard work of Ghanaian cocoa farmers this season.”
It warned that if COCOBOD did not review the price, farmers would be forced to sell their farms to illegal miners.
“Farmers are having difficulty managing the proceeds from this price.” If cocoa farmers are dissatisfied, productivity in this sector suffers.
“Every day, many farmers are dissatisfied. That being said, the government should intervene quickly to review this price increase in order to save not only our third-best export commodity, but also our water bodies.”
