COCOSHE backs GH¢3,229 cocoa price, urges timely input delivery

Ghana’s largest cocoa farmers’ group has endorsed the new producer price of GH¢3,228.75 per 64kg bag for the 2025/2026 season, describing the adjustment as a step in the right direction.

The Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE) expressed appreciation to the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for what it called a responsive policy that reflects the contributions of farmers to the national economy.

The new rate, equivalent to GH¢51,660 per tonne, represents 70 percent of the achieved Free-on-Board (FoB) price for the season. This marks a notable increase from the previous season’s 63.9 percent share.

COCOSHE leadership said the move demonstrates government’s willingness to listen to farmer concerns and maintain price stability despite recent foreign exchange gains that could have justified a reduction in the local producer price.

“In the face of a stronger cedi, it would have been easy to cut prices, but government chose to support farmers,” said Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, national president of COCOSHE, in a press statement. “This decision underscores a commitment to the welfare of farmers and the sustainability of the sector.”

Mr. Bukari acknowledged that during the final quarter of the 2024/2025 season, COCOBOD maintained the producer price at GH¢3,100 per bag, despite exchange rate movements that might have pressured a downward revision.

Beyond the price adjustment, COCOSHE pointed to broader reforms it believes can improve the sector’s viability. These include the reintroduction of input subsidies such as free fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides, as well as the deployment of spraying machines. The association said these interventions, expected to begin in the 2025/2026 crop year, are essential to boosting productivity and farmer income.

Farmers also welcomed the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System, which is aimed at improving global market compliance, including with the European Union Deforestation Regulation. In addition, COCOSHE praised plans for a new tertiary scholarship scheme for children of cocoa farmers, expected to launch in the 2026/2027 academic year.

COCOSHE, however, stressed that the success of these measures depends on timely and equitable implementation. It urged COCOBOD to ensure that inputs reach all eligible farmers promptly and called for transparency in future pricing decisions. The group also wants greater investment in extension services and education around the new traceability system. “We are ready to support COCOBOD in educating our members to ensure these reforms succeed,” Mr. Bukari said. “But timely distribution and clear communication are critical.”

The group emphasised that Ghanaian cocoa farmers see themselves as partners in national progress and urged stakeholders to avoid mischaracterising farmer advocacy as resistance to reform. “We’re not protesting—we are acknowledging progress and calling for continuity,” Bukari said. “Farmers must be seen as economic agents, not just producers.”

The post COCOSHE backs GH¢3,229 cocoa price, urges timely input delivery appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

Read Full Story