Ranking Member on the Finance Committee in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson says government has short-changed cocoa farmers by pegging the 2022/2023 Producer Price at 8 Hundred Cedis per bag.
“the cocoa farmer should benefit because they are exporting cocoa to another country. Ghana has seen a massive depreciation in its currency and is only increasing its cocoa price to 800 cedis per bag. My view is that the government hasn’t been fair to the cocoa farmer because this is the time, cocoa farmers should have benefitted,” He noted.
According to him, government has not given cocoa farmers what they are due regarding the depreciation of the cedi arguing that this will worsen the plight of cocoa farmers.
Dr Ato Forson says the price should have been pegged at 1,000 cedis per bag.
A Cocoa Farmer expressed his displeasure with the new producer price for cocoa.
According to him, the significance of the increase will not be felt looking at the recent economic situation.
“The increment is quite appalling because farming hasn’t been too okay given the increase of farming products. Almost all the inputs farmers use have increased from 70 to 100 per cent as compared to last year,” He disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Senior Public Affairs Manager of COCOBOD, Fifi Boafo disagrees with Dr Ato Forson saying that the 21 per cent is huge and that is the best government can pay.
He disputed claims that the price which is 50 cedis lower than that of Cote D’Ivoire will lead to cocoa smuggling.
” The basis for determining coca price first of all is out of how much is realised from the sale of cocoa in the international market and based on that we also take into consideration all factors and variables,” Mr Boafo stated.
