Isaac Yaw Opoku, the Member of Parliament for Offinso South and Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee, has harshly criticized the government’s newly revised cocoa pricing, describing the news as more painful than the passing of his own mother.
The lawmaker, who is a cocoa farmer himself, characterized the price adjustment as an unprecedented display of insensitivity and a direct breach of promises made to the nation’s farmers.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Dr. Opoku emphasized that cocoa pricing was traditionally a “guaranteed” safety net for farmers—a status he believes has now been compromised.
He informed host Kwabena Agyapong that the new rate of approximately GH₵2,587 per bag (based on the GH₵41,392 per tonne figure) is “totally unacceptable” and fails to meet the expectations previously set by the administration.
The MP argued that the government has failed to shield farmers from market volatility, contrasting the current situation with past interventions.
”The pain I felt after the announcement was profound; it even appears to be more painful than the death of my mother,” Opoku stated. “Cocoa used to have a guaranteed price regardless of the global situation, but today, the government has announced a painful reality for farmers. Ghanaian farmers have struggled for years, and now, the government is attempting to cheat them.”
He further dismissed the justifications offered by the Ministry following the announcement, labeling them as inadequate.
”The farmers are being short-changed at a time when they require greater protection. Previous administrations shielded cocoa farmers from the full impact of falling global prices by absorbing market shocks. When prices fell in the past, the government absorbed the hit to protect the grower. We, therefore, admonish the government to absorb these costs.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
