{"id":3025,"date":"2026-02-08T01:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T01:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/?p=3025"},"modified":"2026-02-08T01:17:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T01:17:16","slug":"pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/","title":{"rendered":"Pay cocoa farmers to save industry from collapse &#8211; Minority urges govt, COCOBOD"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#Minority_Demands_Immediate_Payment_to_Cocoa_Farmers_Warns_of_Looming_Crisis_in_Cocoa_Industry\" >Minority Demands Immediate Payment to Cocoa Farmers, Warns of Looming Crisis in Cocoa Industry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#%E2%80%9CCocoa_Farmers_Are_Not_Beggars%E2%80%9D\" >\u201cCocoa Farmers Are Not Beggars\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#LBCs_Unable_to_Pay_Farmers\" >LBCs Unable to Pay Farmers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#COCOBOD_and_Government_to_Blame\" >COCOBOD and Government to Blame<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#Claims_of_Released_Funds_Described_as_%E2%80%9CHoax%E2%80%9D\" >Claims of Released Funds Described as \u201cHoax\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#Farmers_Pushed_Into_Hardship\" >Farmers Pushed Into Hardship<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#%E2%80%9CIs_This_the_Reset%E2%80%9D\" >\u201cIs This the Reset?\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/pay-cocoa-farmers-to-save-industry-from-collapse-minority-urges-govt-cocobod\/#Call_for_Immediate_Action\" >Call for Immediate Action<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"366\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Minority_Demands_Immediate_Payment_to_Cocoa_Farmers_Warns_of_Looming_Crisis_in_Cocoa_Industry\"><\/span>Minority Demands Immediate Payment to Cocoa Farmers, Warns of Looming Crisis in Cocoa Industry<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"368\" data-end=\"688\">The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong call to the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to immediately pay cocoa farmers for all cocoa beans sold, warning that continued delays threaten to plunge the cocoa industry back into an era of despair, declining productivity, and farmer disillusionment.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"690\" data-end=\"898\">The caucus also demanded a public apology from both the government and COCOBOD for what it described as a \u201cgross dereliction of duty,\u201d following months of delayed payments to cocoa farmers across the country.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"900\" data-end=\"1232\">In addition, the Minority called on COCOBOD to urgently reimburse Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) an outstanding GH\u00a210 billion for cocoa already purchased and delivered. It stressed that prompt settlement of both outstanding and future payments was critical to preventing a complete breakdown of trust within the cocoa value chain.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1234\" data-end=\"1410\">\u201cWe demand that our cherished cocoa farmers are treated with dignity and respect,\u201d the caucus said. \u201cWhat is happening now is unacceptable and deeply damaging to the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1412\" data-end=\"1447\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CCocoa_Farmers_Are_Not_Beggars%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>\u201cCocoa Farmers Are Not Beggars\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1449\" data-end=\"1692\">Speaking on behalf of the Minority, the Ranking Member on Parliament\u2019s Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, underscored that prompt payment to cocoa farmers was not a privilege but a legal and moral obligation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1694\" data-end=\"1819\">\u201cCocoa farmers are not beggars,\u201d Dr Opoku said. \u201cPaying them promptly for their produce is not a favour\u2014it is an obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1821\" data-end=\"2057\">Dr Opoku, who is also the Member of Parliament for Offinso South, made these remarks ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee to examine the persistent issue of delayed payments to cocoa farmers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2059\" data-end=\"2277\">He said the Minority had observed with grave concern the increasingly precarious state of Ghana\u2019s cocoa industry, which remains a critical pillar of the national economy and a major source of foreign exchange earnings.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2279\" data-end=\"2309\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"LBCs_Unable_to_Pay_Farmers\"><\/span>LBCs Unable to Pay Farmers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2311\" data-end=\"2545\">According to Dr Opoku, Licensed Buying Companies have been unable to pay farmers for cocoa beans sold since November 2025, a situation he said was directly linked to COCOBOD\u2019s failure to reimburse the LBCs for cocoa already delivered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2547\" data-end=\"2748\">He stressed that the LBCs should not be blamed for the crisis, as they had already expended significant resources purchasing cocoa from farmers and delivering it to COCOBOD without receiving repayment.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2750\" data-end=\"2890\">\u201cThe money they used to buy cocoa has been locked up,\u201d he explained. \u201cWithout reimbursement, the LBCs cannot continue to finance purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2892\" data-end=\"3122\">As a result, Dr Opoku said many LBCs had stopped advancing funds to the field, forcing farmers into difficult and humiliating choices\u2014selling their cocoa on credit, accepting heavy discounts, or returning home with unsold produce.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3124\" data-end=\"3276\">\u201cThis situation portends dire consequences for the cocoa industry and for the national economy, given the central role cocoa plays in Ghana,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3278\" data-end=\"3313\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"COCOBOD_and_Government_to_Blame\"><\/span>COCOBOD and Government to Blame<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3315\" data-end=\"3489\">The Minority squarely blamed COCOBOD and the government for the crisis, accusing them of failing to honour financial commitments to the LBCs and, by extension, cocoa farmers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3491\" data-end=\"3803\">Dr Opoku revealed that many LBCs had borrowed heavily from commercial banks and off-taker traders to pre-finance cocoa purchases at the start of the season. However, COCOBOD now owed these companies more than GH\u00a210 billion for cocoa already taken over, represented by defaulted Cocoa Taken-Over Receipts (CTORs).<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3805\" data-end=\"4004\">\u201cTo continue purchasing cocoa under these circumstances would only worsen the problem,\u201d he said. \u201cIt would mean the accumulation of unpaid CTORs and a dangerous escalation of COCOBOD\u2019s indebtedness.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"4006\" data-end=\"4054\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Claims_of_Released_Funds_Described_as_%E2%80%9CHoax%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Claims of Released Funds Described as \u201cHoax\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"4056\" data-end=\"4251\">Dr Opoku also took issue with a recent press release from COCOBOD\u2019s Public Affairs Department, which suggested that sufficient funds had been released to LBCs to enable continued cocoa purchases.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4253\" data-end=\"4293\">He dismissed those claims as misleading.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4295\" data-end=\"4436\">\u201cThat statement was a hoax,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reality on the ground is that farmers have not been paid for cocoa sold since November last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4438\" data-end=\"4637\">He further accused the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of presiding over the payment delays, adding that the situation had left thousands of cocoa farmers in severe distress.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4639\" data-end=\"4774\">\u201cFor farmers who depend entirely on cocoa as their source of livelihood, the past three months have been extremely difficult,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"4776\" data-end=\"4808\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Farmers_Pushed_Into_Hardship\"><\/span>Farmers Pushed Into Hardship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"4810\" data-end=\"4983\">Dr Opoku painted a grim picture of life in cocoa-growing communities, where delayed payments have forced some farmers to sell their cocoa at steep discounts just to survive.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4985\" data-end=\"5093\">\u201cThrough no fault of their own, cocoa farmers now find themselves trapped in a financial quagmire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5095\" data-end=\"5310\">He explained that farmers had endured harsh weather conditions, invested heavily in pest and disease control, laboured through harvesting, and delivered their produce in good faith\u2014only to be left unpaid for months.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5312\" data-end=\"5466\">\u201cSome are struggling to feed their families,\u201d he said. \u201cOthers cannot reinvest in their farms, threatening the sustainability of the cocoa sector itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"5468\" data-end=\"5492\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CIs_This_the_Reset%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>\u201cIs This the Reset?\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"5494\" data-end=\"5650\">Dr Opoku questioned whether the non-payment of cocoa farmers aligned with the government\u2019s stated objective of resetting or revitalising the cocoa industry.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5652\" data-end=\"5787\">\u201cIs this what is meant by resetting or reversing the cocoa sector?\u201d he asked. \u201cDenying farmers their income after months of hard work?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5789\" data-end=\"5956\">He described the situation as not only outrageous but exploitative, accusing the government of effectively ripping off cocoa farmers and undermining their livelihoods.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5958\" data-end=\"6074\">\u201cThis is the least treatment our cocoa farmers ever expected from President Mahama and his NDC government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"6076\" data-end=\"6105\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Call_for_Immediate_Action\"><\/span>Call for Immediate Action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"6107\" data-end=\"6243\">The Minority concluded by reiterating its demands for urgent action to prevent further deterioration of the cocoa sector. These include:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"6245\" data-end=\"6465\">\n<li data-start=\"6245\" data-end=\"6310\">\n<p data-start=\"6247\" data-end=\"6310\">Immediate payment to all cocoa farmers for cocoa already sold<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6311\" data-end=\"6362\">\n<p data-start=\"6313\" data-end=\"6362\">Reimbursement of the GH\u00a210 billion owed to LBCs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6363\" data-end=\"6409\">\n<p data-start=\"6365\" data-end=\"6409\">Prompt settlement of all future deliveries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6410\" data-end=\"6465\">\n<p data-start=\"6412\" data-end=\"6465\">A formal apology to farmers for the hardship caused<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"6467\" data-end=\"6626\">Failure to act swiftly, the caucus warned, risks eroding farmer confidence, encouraging smuggling, and reversing decades of progress in Ghana\u2019s cocoa industry.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6628\" data-end=\"6740\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">\u201cAs a nation, we cannot afford to gamble with cocoa,\u201d Dr Opoku said. \u201cWhen cocoa fa<\/p>\n<div class=\"gsp_post_data\" \r\n\t            data-post_type=\"post\" \r\n\t            data-cat=\"politicalnews\" \r\n\t            data-modified=\"120\"\r\n\t            data-created=\"1770513436\"\r\n\t            data-title=\"Pay cocoa farmers to save industry from collapse &#8211; Minority urges govt, COCOBOD\" \r\n\t            data-home=\"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minority Demands Immediate Payment to Cocoa Farmers, Warns of Looming Crisis in Cocoa Industry The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong call to the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to immediately pay cocoa farmers for all cocoa beans sold, warning that continued delays threaten to plunge the cocoa industry back into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[263,262,264,255],"class_list":["post-3025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politicalnews","tag-3nesw-com","tag-ghana-cocoa-board-com","tag-joy-news-com","tag-yengh-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3025"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3027,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3025\/revisions\/3027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rendergh.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}