Farmers Angry Over Cocoa Price Per Bag

Cocoa Farmers who had travelled a long way to witness the announcement of an increase in cocoa producer price, have been left disappointed and with dashed hopes.

The cocoa sector, on Monday announced its decision to maintain the guaranteed price it pays farmers at GH₵7,600 per tonne or GH₵475 per bag of for the 2018/19 main crop harvest.

This according to the famers, is not good for business and called on government to take a relook at the new prices.

“We came here expecting a better price because during the campaign we were promised 700 cedis per bag. I should have stayed in my farm instead of coming here to be disappointed by this news,” a farmer said at the 2018 Cocoa Day celebration held in Accra.

Another farmer who had travelled all the way from the Western Region said it would be difficult to accept the maintained price since cocoa farming has over time, become more capital intensive.

“Cocoa farming is difficult and the economy is also difficult. The government needs to do something. It’s like they have just chosen to deceive farmers,” he said with an expression of total disappointment.

But Justifying the need to maintain the producer prices, the CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo said, world market price per tonne declined to as low as $1750.

Coupled with domestic expenditure in the distribution chain, He said, it was impossible for government to meet the demands of farmers to increase prices.

Wading into the seeming controversial issue, General Secretary for the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Mr. Edward Kerewa said, government may be in the right track.

According to him, there would certainly be a constraint on the cocoa board if it should continue to raise prices.

“The ideal was for the government to raise the prices up a bit but an increase in the price may cause a havoc in the programmes that Cocoa Board has put in place to increase corporate production in this country. It means that the cocoa board would have to find money somewhere to augment its budget,” Mr. Kerewa told Accra based TV3.

Exports freight down by 9.4%

Meanwhile, the Ghana Shippers Authority and shippers ferrying Ghana’s cocoa exports to Europe have announced a 9.4% cut in freight charges for the new cocoa season which begins on Friday.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Ms. Benonita Bismarck said this cut is as a result of the fall of cocoa prices on the world market.

Shippers would receive £35 per tonne down from £39 as charges for shipment to the United Kingdom (UK) and other European countries.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]