Some of the demonstrators
Cocoa farmers in the Western North Region staged a massive protest yesterday against the government’s decision to slash cocoa prices from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag.
They called for an immediate restoration of the previous producer price.
The visibly angry farmers were from Sefwi Wiawso, Juaboso, and Bia West districts as well as other adjoining communities in the Western North Region.
The protest was in collaboration with Forum for Accountable and Development of Sefwi ‘FADOS’
The farmers marched through principal streets of Sefwi Wiawso wielding placards with inscriptions such as “This price cut is wickedness”, and “When COCOBOD fails, don’t cut farmers’ pay”, “Aban no Adadaa yen”, “From promises to pain” and “From GHc3,600 to GHc2,500 De3 Adabraka” among others.
It would be recalled that the Finance Minister, Ato Forson recently announced the reduction in producer price of cocoa from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag for the remainder of 2025/2026 crop season.
However, cocoa farmers across the country have described the reduction as too harsh.
Addressing the media after the demonstration, Opanyin Yaw Adu, a former Best Farmer in the area said he could not fathom why the government would want to plunged farmers into severe hardship.
He vowed that the farmers will not accept the new price and prevailed on the government to restore the old price.
“If the government thinks it has an agenda to turn our Cocoa farms into illegal mining sites, probably because of the operations of GoldBod, we will help it to achieve that”.
“We call on the government to restore the old price, or else, we the farmers will cut down our cocoa trees and sell the lands to galamseyers” Opanyin Yaw Adu told journalists.
A former Member of Parliament for Akontombra, Alex Tetteh who joined the demonstration hinted that now Sefwi Akontombra which was once a Cocoa growing area in the region has now become an illegal mining or galamsey hub.
He asserted that cocoa farmers are now selling their farms to illegal miners in places like Ankra and lNzawora, among others.
The demonstrators later sent their petition to the Western North Regional office of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The Western North Regional Administrator of COCOBOD, Enock Ampofo who received the petition assured the farmers that he will ensure that their petition gets to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) COCOBOD, Dr. Randy Abbey.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi