“I feel it too”: Mahama calls for farmer-first reforms in cocoa pricing
17th February 2026
President John Dramani Mahama has made a strong case for farmer-centred decision-making in Ghana’s cocoa sector, saying policy choices must reflect the everyday realities of producers—realities he knows personally as a cocoa farmer.
Addressing participants at the maiden Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition on Tuesday, February 17, the President said cocoa pricing is not an abstract policy issue for him, but one with direct personal consequences.
“I was given 50 acres of land, and I planted cocoa on it, so I am a cocoa farmer. When the government reduces the price of cocoa, it affects me too,” he told the audience.
His remarks come against the backdrop of recent adjustments in the cocoa sector, including the reduction of the farmgate price from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag, following shifts in global cocoa prices.
President Mahama explained that decisions taken by Ghana Cocoa Board ripple through farming communities, influencing household income, children’s education and overall rural welfare.
He urged policymakers to pursue reforms anchored in sustainability and fairness, stressing that long-term growth of the cocoa industry depends on aligning economic policy with the lived experiences of farmers.
“If we want to protect Ghana’s place in the global cocoa market, then our reforms must work for the people who actually grow the cocoa,” he noted.
The summit, organised with support from the Ghana Tree Crops Authority, aims to attract investment into key tree crops including cocoa, cashew, rubber, coconut and oil palm, as part of a broader strategy to diversify agriculture and expand value addition across the sector.