President of the Ghana National Association of Cocoa Farmers (GNACOF), Stevenson Anane Boateng, has disclosed that cocoa farmers have not been paid for produce purchased by the government since November 2025, leaving many in severe financial distress.

He said the situation was so critical that numerous farmers were unable to celebrate Christmas and New Year due to lack of income.

Speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Anane Boateng said farmers had received no explanation from authorities regarding the prolonged delay in payments.

“The government is buying our cocoa but has refused to pay us. Since November, we have not been paid. They accept the cocoa, but they don’t pay us,” he said.

Asked about the possible reasons for the delay, he noted that farmers remained completely in the dark.

“We don’t know. We are not part of the government, so you need to ask them why they have refused to pay cocoa farmers. This is troubling, and we want the government to address our concerns,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) has issued a strong warning to the government, stating that failure to introduce a pension scheme, improve health insurance coverage and provide quality healthcare for farmers could trigger nationwide action.

The Association has formally appealed for urgent reforms to improve the welfare, safety and social protection of cocoa farmers, stressing that many currently operate without adequate support systems.

GNACOFA is specifically calling on the government to establish a pension scheme for cocoa farmers, strengthen and expand health insurance coverage, and ensure access to quality healthcare services across cocoa-growing communities.

Mr Anane Boateng urged the government to act swiftly, warning that continued inaction could force cocoa farmers to organise a nationwide demonstration to demand attention to their plight.