The Minority in Parliament has formally presented to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2028 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia the report of a special select committee that undertook an extensive tour of Ghana’s cocoa-growing areas to engage directly with farmers affected by recent price cuts and sector-wide challenges.
The committee, which was established on the initiative of Dr. Bawumia and led by Minority Chief Whip Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, visited multiple cocoa-growing regions, speaking to farmers at the grassroots level about conditions on their farms, challenges they face, and the impact of recent price reductions on their livelihoods.
The presentation ceremony marked the culmination of what observers have described as one of the most extensive parliamentary engagements with cocoa farmers in recent memory, one that bypassed political platforms in favour of direct farm-level conversations.
“Our committee went to the farms, sat under the trees with the farmers, listened to their pain, and brought their voices here today. These are not statistics; these are the stories of Ghanaians who feed the world with their hands.”
Dr. Bawumia received the report warmly, commending the committee for their thoroughness and committing to review the findings through his Agriculture and Food Security policy committee, with a view to announcing specific relief and revival measures shortly.
He recalled how the NPP government in 2017 protected cocoa farmers from a global price drop through deliberate policy intervention, and vowed to replicate that commitment if given the mandate.
The Minority’s tour has been widely seen as both a humanitarian gesture and a sharp political contrast to what the NPP caucus describes as the NDC government’s neglect of the cocoa sector under President Mahama’s watch.
The government on Thursday, 12 February 2026, announced a reduction in the cocoa producer price, setting it at GH¢41,392 per tonne—equivalent to GH¢2,587 per bag—for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season.
The decision, approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), takes effect from the same day, Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Addressing the press on Thursday, February 12, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson explained that the decision was informed by prevailing conditions on the international cocoa market.
He said the adjustment reflects current global cocoa prices and is intended to restore confidence across the industry.
The Minister further indicated that the new rate is expected to inject immediate liquidity into the cocoa value chain, helping to fast-track payments to farmers who have experienced delays in recent months and easing financial pressures at the farm level.
The price revision, he noted, forms part of broader reforms to ensure the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry. He described the measure as necessary to stabilise the sector, strengthen its financial footing, and secure better outcomes for cocoa farmers.
“As a result of that, the PPRC thereby announces that effective today, Thursday 12th February 2026, the new producer price for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season will now be 41,392 Ghana Cedis per ton and 2,587 Ghana Cedis per bag,” he said.
The new rate represents a downward revision from the initial price announced at the Ghana economic reports
The producer price was fixed at US$5,040 per tonne, representing a 62.58 percent increase in dollar terms. In cedi terms, that translates to GH¢51,660 per tonne or GH¢3,228.75 per bag.
Cocoa farmers in the Ashanti, Ahafo, and Western North regions raised concerns over the reduction in the producer price of cocoa for the 2025/26 season.
The farmers indicated that the decision will negatively affect their livelihoods and family welfare.
The price reduction, from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag, sparked anger among farmers who accuse the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board of failing to protect their interests.
Cocoa farming remains a major source of income for thousands of households in Ghana’s cocoa-growing areas. However, farmers say the latest producer price will worsen their already difficult living conditions.
A cocoa farmer in the Ahafo Region, Agnes Badu, says the price cut will adversely affect her ability to support her children through school after decades of working in the sector.
“I have worked for 40 years as a cocoa farmer. With the new reduction in the cocoa price, I can no longer pay my children’s university fees.
“The previous government paid us a little better, but now the price has been reduced, and it is affecting our livelihood. We don’t even know where to send our complaints.”
In the Ashanti Region, Abena Pokua describes the situation as worsening, noting that the price cut will affect basic household needs.
“We don’t have enough money to buy good food. We suffer on the farm to feed our families, and now the government has reduced the cocoa price. Our lives are at stake.”
A farmer in the Western North Region, Kwame Duah, says he has been in cocoa farming since 1985 and believes the current reduction is unprecedented.
“I started cocoa farming in 1985. Over the years, every government has found a way to manage cocoa pricing, but this reduction for the 2025/26 season has never happened before. It has affected my family and the labourers I work with.”
The farmers are calling on the government to urgently review the cocoa producer price and introduce support measures to cushion farmers against rising production costs.
