Sefwi Bekwai, Western North Region — The Western North Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Pious Vincent Abekah, has accused the government of shortchanging cocoa farmers and discouraging young people from entering the agricultural sector.
According to Mr. Abekah, the newly announced cocoa farmgate price of GH¢2,650 per bag does not adequately reflect prevailing global market conditions and fails to take into account the rising operational costs faced by farmers.
Addressing the press through Peace News at Sefwi Bekwai, Mr. Abekah described the farmgate price announced by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as unfair to cocoa farmers.
He claimed that, based on what he described as current world market averages, cocoa farmers should be receiving at least GH¢2,968 per bag, arguing that the difference of GH¢318 per bag represents income farmers are losing.
Mr. Abekah further stressed that rising transportation fares, labour costs and the general cost of living are putting additional pressure on farmers’ incomes and contributing to growing dissatisfaction within the sector.
The NPP Regional Chairman also raised concerns about the condition of cocoa farms in the Western North Region, warning that some critical interventions needed to support farmers are being neglected.
He cited labour-saving equipment, including motorised pruning and slashing machines introduced under the previous NPP administration, as interventions he said helped farmers maintain their farms and improve productivity.
Mr. Abekah also highlighted other agricultural initiatives, including mass spraying, hand pollination, Hi-Tech fertiliser distribution and specialised weeding gangs.
He urged cocoa farmers to support NPP leadership in the 2028 general elections, arguing that a return to what he described as innovative agricultural policies would help improve farm support and cocoa farmers’ returns.
Credit :Kwame Kontor Boateng, Lord FM, Sefwi Bekwai, Western North Region.
