Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has announced that a parliamentary showdown is imminent this week in response to the government’s decision to reduce cocoa prices.
He further asserted that the NDC’s actions demonstrate a lack of genuine interest in addressing issues affecting cocoa farmers, instead prioritising rhetoric.
The Effutu Member of Parliament accused the government of financially handicapping cocoa farmers by depriving them of rightful earnings.
He emphasised that the crucial issue at stake is ensuring cocoa farmers receive their due payments, rather than superficial discussions among government officials and civil society organisations.
Speaking at the national thanksgiving service held at the University of Professional Studies on February 15, 2026, following the party’s presidential primary, Afenyo-Markin assured that the Minority will raise the issue in Parliament and demand that the government provide farmers with what they deserve.
He stated, “I want to tell the NDC government—and also what I want every NPP member to tell the NDC is—that it is not about the ‘big English’ you speak or what the CSOs will speak. The cocoa farmers need their money, so [pay] them their money. Every cocoa farmer is losing GH₵1,000 per bag. That is the issue we are talking about. So this in Parliament, the Minority, is going to be ‘butubutubutu’ (meaning, there will be a showdown in Parliament).”
He stressed that come what may, the government will pay the cocoa farmers.
The government has announced a substantial decrease in the producer price of cocoa, reducing it from GH₵3,625 to GH₵2,587 per 64 kg bag for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.
This adjustment represents a loss of approximately GH₵1,038 per bag for farmers, a decision that has triggered intense political discussion and threats of a parliamentary confrontation from the Minority caucus.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson cited several critical economic factors for the downward revision, including global market volatility, where international cocoa prices plummeted from an average of $7,200 per tonne in late 2025 to approximately $4,100 by February 2026.
He explained that maintaining the previous farmgate price would have rendered Ghanaian cocoa uncompetitive globally.
Additionally, the Ghana Cocoa Board faced severe cash flow constraints due to the previous price being higher than the current world market value, resulting in buyers’ reluctance to purchase Ghanaian beans.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
