Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a close aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has made a passionate plea to the government to honour its campaign promises to cocoa farmers by providing them with fair compensation for their labour.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Wednesday, August 6, Aboagye criticized what he described as political posturing and shifting figures, and called for a more non-partisan and humane approach to cocoa pricing.
“This is a plea. I beg you, these farmers struggle, they suffer, they bleed before they can give us the cocoa,” he said. “Give them what it is that you promised them. Forget about NPP.”
Producer Price Hike Sparks Controversy
His remarks come in the wake of the government’s announcement of a new producer price of US$5,040 per tonne for the 2025/2026 cocoa season — a 62.58% increase from the previous rate of US$3,100 per tonne.
According to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who chairs the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), the new rate reflects 70% of the Free-On-Board (FOB) value, pegged at US$7,200 per tonne for the new season, which begins on Thursday, August 7.
However, the local equivalent of the new rate — GH₵3,228.75 per 64kg bag — has drawn sharp criticism from the Minority in Parliament, who labelled it as: “Ridiculous, unfair and completely unacceptable.”
Calls for Farmers’ Welfare to Take Center Stage
Mr. Aboagye’s comments highlight growing calls for cocoa farmers’ economic welfare to be prioritized, beyond political rivalries and partisan debates.
He warned that despite improved FOB values compared to the previous administration’s US$4,850 per tonne, many farmers are still struggling to survive and feel disillusioned by broken promises. “Let’s not reduce their hard work to just numbers on paper,” he added.
