Cocoa farmers in Kukuom in the Asunafo South Municipality of the Ahafo Region have openly expressed frustration over what they describe as the absence of their Member of Parliament and Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, following the government’s controversial reduction in cocoa producer prices.
The farmers made the remarks during an engagement with the Minority Caucus in Parliament, led by the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, as part of a nationwide tour of cocoa-growing communities.
According to them, the Minister has not returned to the constituency nor granted them an audience since the announcement of the price cut, leaving many feeling abandoned.
Their concerns come on the back of the government’s decision to reduce the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag for the 2025/2026 season.
The NDC has attributed the move to financial challenges within the Ghana Cocoa Board, including mounting debt, declining productivity, and global market pressures.
However, the farmers insist the decision has worsened their already difficult conditions.
Many of the farmers accused the Minister of failing to fulfil campaign promises made ahead of the 2024 elections, where they claim assurances were given that cocoa prices would be increased to about GH¢6,000 per bag under a new administration.
Instead, they say, the price has been reduced, deepening their economic hardship.
The situation has been further aggravated by delays in payments for cocoa already supplied. Farmers say they have not received the new approved amounts despite delivering their produce months ago, leaving them unable to meet basic needs.
Some described the Minister as now being a “stranger” in his own constituency and are demanding that he return to explain the government’s position and apologise.
One of the most emotional accounts came from a 65-year-old visually impaired farmer, Asante Patrick, popularly known as Kwabena Anane, who revealed that he has not been paid since December after supplying cocoa beans.
According to him, his situation has deteriorated to the point where he must rely on begging to survive.
“I have to beg before I can eat,” he said, reflecting the hardship many farmers say they are enduring. Several others echoed similar frustrations, warning that if the situation does not improve, cocoa farming may no longer be sustainable for them.
While the government maintains that the price adjustment is part of broader reforms aimed at stabilising the cocoa sector, the growing discontent among farmers highlights the deepening tensions within one of the most critical economic sectors.
The Minority Caucus has called for urgent intervention, insisting that farmers must not be left to bear the full impact of the sector’s challenges.