The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has challenged the government’s decision to set the producer price of cocoa for the 2026/27 season at GH¢2,650 per 64-kilogramme bag, describing the price as inadequate and alleging that it falls below the statutory minimum prescribed by law.

The party, in a press statement dated September 27, said the new price represents an increase of only GH¢63, or 2.4 percent, over the reduced producer price of GH¢2,587 per bag that prevailed at the close of the 2025/26 cocoa season.

The opposition party argued that the government’s decision must be reviewed, particularly in light of provisions contained in the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182), which it said requires the producer price for a crop season to be at least 70 percent of the Gross Free-on-Board (FOB) price realised by COCOBOD.Africans & Diaspora

According to the party, the government has maintained that the GH¢2,650 producer price represents 71.18 percent of the Gross FOB price.

However, the NPP disputes this calculation and says the figures used to arrive at the announced price require greater transparency.

The party’s position comes after the government announced the producer price for the new cocoa season on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The NPP also criticised the government over what it described as a failure to honour promises made to cocoa farmers during the 2024 election campaign.

According to the party, leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while in opposition, including current Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and President John Dramani Mahama, toured cocoa-growing communities during the campaign and promised farmers a producer price of GH¢6,000 per bag.

The NPP said farmers were also told that the GH¢3,100 per bag being paid at the time was exploitative and that cocoa farmers deserved at least 70 percent of the world market price.

The party said the government’s subsequent pricing decisions have fallen significantly below that campaign promise.

Source: Citinews