Minority Caucus urges government to increase cocoa producer price

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to immediately increase the producer price of cocoa to at least GH¢7,400 per bag, citing the surge in world market prices.

According to the Minority Caucus, the world market price of cocoa had exceeded $11,000 per ton, with the government promising to pay farmers 70 per cent of the world market price.

However, at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday, Mr Isaac Yaw Opoku, the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso South, argued that the current producer price was inadequate and demanded an immediate review.

“We, therefore, demand that a new producer price of not less than GH¢7,400 per bag be given to farmers immediately,” he stated.

The Caucus also expressed disappointment with the government’s failure of not allegedly fulfilling its campaign promise to pay cocoa farmers 70 per cent of the world market price. “… Anxiety of farmers has already built up in the past 44 days of the NDC in office, and nothing must be done to let these fretful moments get out of proportion,” Mr Opoku added.

The Minority Caucus also referenced the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku’s announcement that the government will offer cocoa farmers 70 per cent of the world market price for their produce, exceeding the initially proposed 60 per cent.

“… This is not the first time that the sector Minister has made same promise; it was and has been his campaign message,” he noted.

The Caucus emphasised that the government’s failure to increase the producer price would undermine the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and contradict President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to ensuring Ghanaian cocoa farmers received fair compensation.

Source: GNA

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