Former Head of Corporate Affairs for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, has said the government is facing a credibility challenge over the new cocoa pricing.
His comment follows the reopening of the 2026/27 cocoa season by the COCOBOD on Friday, September 25, 2026, with an increase in the producer price from GH₵41,392 to ₵42,400 per tonne, representing 71.18 per cent of the realised gross Free-on-Board value.
The new price translates into GH₵2,650 for a 64-kilogramme bag, up from GH₵2,587 in the previous season, an increase of GH₵63.
The announcement by COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr Ransford Annetey Abbey, has since drawn criticism from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), describing the price as inadequate and below the campaign promise of GH₵6,000 per bag.
Speaking on the BigIssue segment on the NewDay morning show on TV3 Tuesday, September 29, 2026, he noted that the government, while in opposition, accused the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration of being wicked and heartless to cocoa farmers.
“On the issue of the new price that was announced, the major challenge the government faced at this point is credibility. Before coming into office, these were the people everywhere, accusing Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Bawumia and the NPP administration that they are thieves, they are wicked, they are heartless. They could pay the cocoa farmer GH₵6,000, in fact, even Ato Forson said GH₵7,000,” he said.
He said at one point some government communicators even mentioned higher figures.
“At a point, one of them even said GH₵9,000 a bag for cocoa. After saying all that, now you have power, and what is the situation? The situation now is that now you’re paying them something way less than what you even inherited,” he stated.
He added that market explanations would not erase the promise the government made to the farmers.
“You’ll talk about how the market operate and all that but the farmers all that they know is that you told them you’ll pay them GH₵6,000,” he said.
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