Issifu Issaka, President of the Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Union, has slammed the Ghana Cocoa Board for failing to consult farmers ahead of the newly announced cocoa producer price, calling the process exclusionary and unjust.
In an interview with ABC News Gh, he revealed that since the appointment of the new board, “nobody have engaged us. We have written about 5 letters but no responds.”
His remarks come on the heels of government’s announcement that cocoa farmers will now earn GH¢3,228.75 per 64kg bag starting August 7, 2025—an increase from the previous US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne.
The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, indicated this figure represents 70% of the international market FOB value, fulfilling President Mahama’s promise. But Issaka questioned the legitimacy of the process, stating, “They did not engage in discussing how the price will be determined.”
The Union president expressed outrage at the top-down nature of the decision-making, adding, “They have just decided the price by themselves.”
For Issaka and many others in the sector, this approach disregards the lived realities of cocoa farmers who continue to grapple with poor returns and rising input costs.
“We were expecting at least GHC3,800 per 64-kilogram/per bag of cocoa, that is what we had expected,” he said.
Issaka warned of growing frustration within cocoa-growing communities, adding that a press conference would soon be held to outline their next steps. “Cocoa production is decreasing in Ghana,” he stressed.
“Today, farmers are not able to pay labour for cocoa production.” As dissatisfaction mounts, the lack of farmer engagement threatens to overshadow what government touts as a historic policy shift in favour of producers.
