- 300,000+ farmers oppose Ghana’s new cocoa price, calling it unfair
- Fixed price of 3,228 cedis per bag falls short of government’s promise
- Farmers warn low price encourages smuggling to Ivory Coast and Togo
A coalition of cocoa farmers in Ghana has threatened to bar officials from the national cocoa regulator, COCOBOD, from accessing their farms in protest against the newly announced producer price for the 2025/2026 season. They argue the price is too low and could encourage increased smuggling of cocoa to neighboring Ivory Coast and Togo, where farmers reportedly earn more.
Over 300,000 farmers have expressed dissatisfaction, with some admitting they would smuggle their entire harvest if they lived closer to the border due to more favorable prices in Ivory Coast.
On August 4, Ghana set a farmgate price of 51,660 cedis ($4,783) per ton, or 3,228 cedis per 64kg bag, for the upcoming season — just a 4% increase from last year.
Theophilus Tamakloe, vice president of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association, criticized the pricing, stating it falls short of the government’s pledge to offer 70% of the free-on-board (FOB) price. According to Tamakloe, this commitment should have translated to about 3,800 cedis per bag.
Kwame Alex, Ghana’s most recent Best Cocoa Farmer, echoed these concerns, pointing to a 700 cedi gap between Ghanaian and Ivorian prices, which he says incentivizes smuggling. Though not part of the coalition, Alex added that current production costs—like 150 cedis per insecticide and 100 cedis daily equipment rental fees—make the announced price unsustainable.
Tamakloe remarked, “If I lived near the Côte d’Ivoire border, all my cocoa would go there. The government hasn’t treated us fairly.”
The farmers’ threat to block COCOBOD officials, including extension officers who provide essential crop monitoring and education services, marks a significant escalation. If enforced, this could disrupt vital agricultural support across cocoa-growing regions.
The standoff also underscores wider frustrations in Ghana’s cocoa sector, where an estimated 160,000 tons of cocoa were lost to cross-border smuggling during the 2023/2024 season, according to COCOBOD data.
