Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the Public Relations Officer for the Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana, has revealed that a significant number of farmers remain unpaid, directly contradicting government claims that all outstanding arrears have been settled.
While she acknowledged that a small minority of farmers have received partial payments, she maintained that the vast majority are still waiting for funds that have been withheld since October 2025.
During an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Asantewaa described a frustrating deadlock.
She explained that while the government insists the money has been released, purchasing clerks consistently deny receiving any such funds.
This discrepancy has turned the issue into a “battle of who is peddling lies”, leaving the farming community in a state of deep uncertainty.
Compounding the issue are reports suggesting that some purchasing clerks may have indeed received the allocations but opted to divert the capital into private business ventures rather than paying the farmers.
In response to these allegations, Asantewaa informed the news team that the association has decided to pursue the arrest of these clerks to facilitate a formal investigation and uncover the truth.
“The purchasing clerks have denied receiving any payments from the government despite the assurances that the funds have been released. So we are currently confused because we don’t know who is telling the truth. We have also gathered that the clerks have been paid, but they have invested the money in other businesses.”
The financial strain has reached a breaking point, forcing many cocoa farmers to abandon the industry entirely. Asantewaa revealed that farmers no longer possess the resources required to hire the labour necessary for harvesting.
Consequently, many members are now redirecting their efforts toward more viable crops, such as cassava, while leaving their cocoa plantations to rot.
“From where we are today, cocoa farming is no longer lucrative and is on the brink of collapse. We are no longer interested in cocoa farming because it appears we are wasting our time.”
Nana Yaa Asantewaa stressed that cocoa production in Ghana is facing an existential threat.
She cautioned that unless the authorities take immediate action to salvage the sector and prioritise the welfare of its workers, the industry will cease to exist within a few years as farmers seek more sustainable livelihoods elsewhere.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
