Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, Member of Parliament for Offinso South and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, has claimed that the government is planning a further reduction in the cocoa producer price.

He has called on cocoa farmers to mobilize urgently and protest against the move.

Dr. Opoku made the appeal during a visit to cocoa farmers in the Bosome Freho District as part of the Minority Caucus’ tour of cocoa-growing communities in the Ashanti Region.

According to the lawmaker, intelligence indicates that authorities may lower the current cocoa producer price further—a step he warns would exacerbate the difficulties already faced by farmers.

He noted that the recent 28.6 percent reduction in the producer price, from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag, has already had a significant negative impact, and another cut would be devastating.

“The government is planning to announce another cocoa price cut. I am calling on all farmers to stand up against this unfair treatment,” Dr. Opoku said.

He also pointed to the debts left in the cocoa sector by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government under John Dramani Mahama, claiming that when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assumed office, the sector was burdened with GH¢19 billion in arrears.

Despite these debts, Dr. Opoku argued, the NDC failed to invest in the cocoa sector to benefit farmers or the nation. In contrast, he said, debts accumulated under President Akufo-Addo’s government were directed towards rehabilitating 70,000 hectares of cocoa farms, highlighting productive use of resources.

He urged farmers to disregard claims by the NDC that the recent price cut is a result of debts inherited from the previous government, insisting that the current reduction is unfair and harmful to the cocoa sector.