Asunafo North Cocoa Union urges COCOBOD to rethink Cocoa buying strategy

The President of the Asunafo North Municipal Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union in the Ahafo Region, Emmanuel Sarpong, has appealed to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to introduce new approaches to its cocoa purchasing operations to protect the interests of farmers and support the national economy.In an interview with Adom News in Goaso, Mr Sarpong said delays in payments to cocoa farmers were largely due to difficulties in selling cocoa on the international market. He explained that foreign buyers are reluctant to purchase cocoa at the current prices, leading to a slowdown in sales.

He noted that while some international companies are calling for price reductions, COCOBOD has maintained its pricing stance. As a result, significant volumes of cocoa remain unsold, creating cash flow challenges that are affecting farmer payments.

Mr Sarpong said the situation has left many cocoa farmers struggling, as they have not yet received payment for their produce. He therefore called on COCOBOD to consult industry experts and adopt alternative strategies that would facilitate quicker sales and ensure timely payment to farmers.

The Manager of the Union, Kumaho Erasmus, also spoke to Adom News, backing the call for urgent intervention. He stressed that many cocoa farmers rely heavily on proceeds from cocoa sales to meet their daily needs.

Mr Erasmus appealed to farmers to exercise patience, assuring them that cocoa unions are actively engaging COCOBOD to resolve the matter and secure the release of outstanding payments.