Cocoa farmers in Ghana are expressing frustration over low prices and rising costs, with many hoping the upcoming election will bring changes to the sector. Farmers are calling for higher cocoa prices, better access to fertilisers, and improved working conditions.
Cocoa farmers in Ghana are voicing their frustrations ahead of the country’s presidential election on December 8, with many declaring that the future of their livelihoods and the sector itself will influence their vote. The world’s second-largest cocoa producer is facing significant challenges, and farmers are calling for change.
Joseph Arkoh, a cocoa farmer, spoke candidly about his concerns regarding fertiliser provision. "If they give me fertiliser, I will vote for the NPP," said Arkoh, who had previously voted for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). However, he expressed disappointment that the government had not met his expectations. "If I don’t get it... So by all means, I will change my mind," he added.
Similarly, farmer Alhaji Abdulai Agoswen criticised the government’s cocoa price policy. The current price of 3,100 cedis per 64 kg bag of cocoa is, according to Agoswen, "painful." He argued that Ghana should be paying at least 4,000 cedis per bag to better reflect the global cocoa market prices.
The dissatisfaction among farmers is exacerbated by increasing costs and declining production. Barkisu Abubakari, another cocoa farmer, explained that the expenses involved in running a cocoa farm, from chemicals to labour, are rising, leaving little for reinvestment. "They forget we think ahead. So we say 'okay' to everything they say, but in our minds we know what we are doing," she said, reflecting the widespread discontent with the current state of the industry.
Many farmers also expressed frustration with the government’s failure to tackle the impacts of illegal gold mining, which has devastated large swathes of the cocoa-growing regions. Despite global cocoa prices reaching historic highs, the cedi’s depreciation has left farmer incomes lagging behind, fuelling concerns over smuggling and undermining the sector’s sustainability.
On the political front, cocoa farming has become a key issue in the election. Both major candidates are vying for the cocoa vote. Former President John Dramani Mahama of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pledged to address farmers’ concerns, including distributing free fertiliser, improving the management of the state cocoa body, Cocobod, and tackling illegal gold mining. Meanwhile, Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling NPP has less clearly defined proposals but has touted his party’s efforts in supporting farmers and increasing cocoa prices.
Despite the promises, many industry players are sceptical about whether either candidate’s pledges can reverse the sector’s decline. "We are begging that whoever wins the elections should raise the price," said cocoa farmer Abubakar Jebril. "No cocoa, no Ghana, and we are willing to work to make cocoa sector sustainable but they have to help us," he added, underscoring the importance of the cocoa sector to the country's economy.
As Ghana heads to the polls, cocoa farmers remain hopeful that their voices will be heard and that the next government will address the critical issues facing their industry.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
More than half of the Syrian city of Aleppo's ancient markets have now been rebuilt, over a decade after they were reduced to rubble during the...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, has died, according to a United Nations official.
A glacial collapse that triggered catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday has killed at least 270 people, with more than 1,000 still missing. Here are some of the most devastating glacier-related disasters recorded around the world:
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from acute wasting, a dangerous form of malnutrition, including around one million with severe acute malnutrition, as hospitals and aid services face rising demand and funding shortages.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment