THE BETRAYAL OF GHANA’S COCOA FARMERS: A MONUMENTAL BREACH OF TRUST

Ghana’s cocoa farmers have long served as the cornerstone of the national economy. From the verdant cocoa-growing enclaves of the Western North, Ashanti, Bono, Eastern, and Central Regions, these industrious men and women have laboured under the relentless sun and torrential rains to sustain the very lifeblood of Ghana’s foreign exchange earnings.

Cocoa has historically played a pivotal role in Ghana’s GDP and continues to be one of the nation’s foremost export commodities, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue. Yet today, these same farmers find themselves mired in economic despair, political disillusionment, and institutional neglect.

Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, trailing only Côte d’Ivoire, yielding between 600,000 to 900,000 metric tonnes annually, contingent upon the season. The sector directly supports over 800,000 farming families and indirectly sustains more than 2 million Ghanaians. Cocoa revenues constitute a significant portion of Ghana’s export earnings and profoundly contribute to rural livelihoods. The cocoa pricing system in Ghana is meticulously regulated by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which announces producer prices each season.

Under the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), under the esteemed leadership of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the prices for cocoa producers have experienced a remarkable escalation over the years. From a modest GH¢300 per bag in the nascent years of the Fourth Republic, the price surged dramatically to GH¢3,100 per 64kg bag by the onset of the 2023/2024 cocoa season.

This increase, albeit fraught with challenges, was widely acknowledged as a concerted effort to shield cocoa farmers from the vicissitudes of global market fluctuations and domestic inflationary pressures.

During the 2024 electoral campaign, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), under the aegis of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, made emphatic and unequivocal pledges to cocoa farmers throughout Ghana. The promise was both audacious and politically alluring to elevate the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,100 to GH¢6,000 per bag upon assuming office.

AFRICAN UNIVERSITY OF COMMUNICATION AND BUSINESS (AUCB) – TESCON

E-mail: aucbtescon@gmail.com

H.E. Kwasi Ohene-Bugyei (President) – 0558200320

H.E. Stephen Boateng Osei-Bonsu (Vice President) – 0241421593

Lisa Abiana Codjoe (Secretary) – 0553706609

Justice Kwasi Forson (Communication Director) – 0241819541

Muniratu Mohammed (Nasara Coordinator) – 0552680408

Tedra Bampoe (Women’s Commissioner) – 0554750725

Ebenezer Orkoh Ayesu (Organizer) – 0559761014

Daniel Akowuah (Treasurer) – 0596055084

AFRICAN UNIVERSITY OF COMMUNICATION AND BUSINESS (AUCB) – TESCON

E-mail: aucbtescon@gmail.com

This proclamation was reiterated at rallies, community engagements, and campaign platforms across cocoa-producing regions.

The commitment was not merely rhetorical; it was articulated as an immediate economic intervention poised to transform the livelihoods of farmers, enabling them to cover educational expenses, address medical bills, expand their agricultural endeavors, and lead lives imbued with dignity..

The repercussions of this failure are dire: Escalating rural poverty, Increasing school dropout rates within cocoa-producing communities, Intensified rural-urban migration, Deterioration in the upkeep of cocoa farms, jeopardizing future yields, and Growing disenchantment with democratic accountability. Cocoa farmers perceive a profound sense of disrespect, not only in economic terms but also politically, as their electoral support was secured through a promise that now appears to be illusory.

The Government must urgently reassess the cocoa producer price, necessitating a commitment to transparency. If the GH¢6,000 pledge cannot be realized immediately, a phased increment strategy with explicit timelines should be articulated. Cocoa farmers are entitled to dignity and integrity.

Cocoa farmers are entitled to economic justice and Ghana’s prosperity has historically been predicated upon cocoa. To disregard the very hands that nurture it, is to undermine the very foundation of the Republic itself. The era of rhetorical assurances has elapsed. The moment for decisive action is upon us. Cocoa farmers in Ghana deserve far better than the current government’s treatment, which belittles their significant contributions to Ghana’s economy.

Long live Ghana!

Long live Ghana Cocoa Farmers!

Long live AUCB-TESCON!

May the Lord make us great and strong!

Issued By:

AUCB TESCON

Signed:

H.E. Kwasi Ohene-Bugyei

AUCB TESCON President

COMMITMENT WITHOUT INDUCEMENT