By: Deborah Amewoyi
The Minority caucus in parliament has called on government to immediately reinstate its proposed seventy percent cocoa price increase which was announced by Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku on Feburary 14, 2025.
MP for Offinso South, Isaac Yaw Opoku addressing the media on behalf of the minority caucus in parliament indicated that this call was necessitated due to the increase in cocoa prices to $11,000 per ton in the world market.
The minority is asking that a new producer price equivalent to the intended seventy percent increase be paid to the cocoa farmers with immediate effect. “we there demand that a new producer price of not less than 7,400 bags be given to the farmer immediately” Mr. Opoku read.
The Mp further cited the NDC’s seventy percent cocoa price increase during its campaign towards the 2024 general elections and called on the NDC government to redeem their promise. “During the 2024 election, the expectations of farmers were heightened by the NDC’s continued promise of a producer price of no less than 70% of the world market price. Farmer’s anxiety has already been heightened over the past 44 days under the NDC administration, and we must ensure this expectation is not allowed to diminish” he declared.
The minister for food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku had earlier announced government’s intended cocoa price increase to seventy percent on the world market price however, Ghana Cocoa board nullified such remarks crossing out any intended increase by the regulatory body.
