The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the government of breaking the law with its announcement of a GH¢2,650 producer price for cocoa in the 2026/27 season. The figure, declared on September 25, 2026, is just GH¢63 higher than last season’s reduced price, a 2.4 percent increase. But the NPP says this falls short of the minimum legally required price under the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182).
Section 57 of the Act states that the producer price must be at least 70 percent of the Gross Free-on-Board (FOB) price. The government claims the GH¢2,650 price is 71.18 percent of the Gross FOB price. However, the NPP’s policy secretariat disputes this calculation. They point to international cocoa prices, which have ranged between US$5,500 and over US$6,000 per tonne in the last three months, and say the minimum price should be about GH¢2,968.44 per bag when adding the US$400 Living Income Differential (LID).
The opposition said farmers are underpaid by roughly GH¢318 per bag, or more than GH¢5,000 per tonne. “Even on conservative assumptions, farmers are being underpaid by approximately GH¢318 on every bag, or more than GH¢5,000 on every tonne of cocoa they produce,” the NPP said in a statement.
The NPP also criticized the government for reversing promises made during the 2024 election campaign. Senior officials, including Minister for Food and Agriculture Hon. Eric Opoku, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and President [CONFIRM: full name], had promised GH¢6,000 per bag and condemned previous prices as unfair.
Instead, the government cut the 2025/26 producer price mid-season in February 2026 from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag. The NPP called that move “arbitrary and unlawful,” noting it was the first time in Ghana’s cocoa history that a guaranteed minimum price was lowered during a crop year.
Adding to farmers’ worries, the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers reported that about GH¢4 billion worth of cocoa beans delivered to COCOBOD in 2025/26 remain unpaid. This has left Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and farmers doubtful they will receive payments on time for the new season.
The NPP laid out a five-point demand urging the government to fix the situation. Their statement ended: “Seventy percent of the Gross FOB price, as the law prescribes, is not GH¢2,650. Cocoa producers deserve transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to the laws governing the sector.”
For Ghana’s cocoa farmers, the promised price increase may not be enough to cover rising costs or meet legal standards. The government’s calculation of the FOB price and its impact on producer payments will likely remain a contentious issue as the new season begins.
According to 3News.
