Amid criticism over the newly announced cocoa producer price for the 2025/26 season, the government has revealed plans to absorb several major costs to ease the financial burden on cocoa farmers and boost production.
Gov’t support for cocoa farmers 2025 was emphasized by Keta MP, Kwame Gakpey, during an appearance on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, August 5. According to him, the move is a strategic policy aimed at sustaining farmer livelihoods and increasing output.
The government earlier approved a 62.58% increase in the producer price of cocoa, from $3,100 to $5,040 per tonne, for the upcoming season. This, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson explained, reflects President John Mahama’s pledge to allocate 70% of the Free-On-Board (FOB) value to cocoa farmers.
But according to MP Gakpey, the support package goes far beyond the price hike. He disclosed that farmers will receive free fertilisers and agrochemicals to cut down operational costs.
“Free input in terms of agrochemicals will also be given to them,” he said, highlighting that the initiative forms part of a larger pro-farmer strategy.
Additionally, Mr. Gakpey announced the implementation of a strictly enforced scholarship programme exclusively for the children of cocoa farmers.
“The scholarship, as we speak, sometimes the cocoa scholarship goes to people who are endowed and rich. But this one is going to be strictly adhered to by the children of cocoa farmers,” he stressed.
The MP also revealed that the government will clamp down on underhanded practices in rural cocoa buying centers, where farmers are often cheated through inaccurate weighing.
“Strict measuring scales are going to be put in place so that they don’t cheat them. And all this is going to inure to the benefit of the farmer,” he stated.
During the conversation, host Evans Mensah pointed out that the impact of cedi depreciation could erode the real income benefits of the price increase. In response, Mr. Gakpey explained that by removing key expenses from the farmers’ shoulders, government intervention will ensure that farmers still retain more income overall.
“No, they are getting much, but these are some of the things they spend their resources on. And the government is going to give them free so that at the end of the day, it will boost production,” he assured.
However, the MP also noted that the financial health of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) is being factored into these decisions.
“You must also look at the indebtedness of the Cocobod, because you don’t want to do anything to crush the economy,” he warned.
He concluded by assuring farmers that more support is coming under the Mahama administration.
“This is just six months. And the people of Ghana have given us a four-year mandate. And this is just the beginning,” he said.
