GH¢2,650 cocoa producer price for the 2026/27 season ‘inadequate and unlawful’ – NPP
NPP brands 2026/27 cocoa price unlawful, says farmers shortchanged by over GH¢318 a bag
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has vehemently criticized the government for setting the cocoa producer price at GH¢2,650 per 64kg bag for the 2026/27 season, labeling it as insufficient and a clear breach of national law. The price, announced by the NDC Government on September 25, 2026, only rises by GH¢63, or 2.4 percent, from the reduced rate that ended the challenging 2025/26 season.
The NPP argues the rate is below the legal minimum set by the new Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182). Section 57 of the Act requires the producer price for each crop season to be at least 70 percent of the Gross Free-on-Board (FOB) price earned by the Cocoa Board. While the government claims the GH¢2,650 figure is 71.18 percent of the Gross FOB price, the NPP contests this calculation.
They point to international market prices that have fluctuated between $5,500 and over $6,000 per tonne over the past three months, suggesting the minimum lawful price should be around GH¢2,968.44 per bag when accounting for the $400 Living Income Differential (LID). Even under conservative estimates, farmers are receiving about GH¢318 less per bag, or over GH¢5,000 per tonne, the NPP contends.
The party also reminded readers of the election campaign promises made by senior government officials, who pledged GH¢6,000 per bag and criticized the existing pricing as exploitative. Farmers faced a significant cut in February 2026, when the government reduced the 2025/26 producer price from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 mid-season, deeming it both arbitrary and unlawful.
Furthermore, the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers reported that nearly GH¢4 billion worth of cocoa beans delivered to COCOBOD during the 2025/26 crop year remains unpaid, causing LBCs and farmers to doubt prompt payments for the next season. Consequently, the NPP has outlined a five-point demand to the government, urging them to adhere to the law and safeguard farmers' livelihoods: The legal minimum of 70 percent of the Gross FOB price is not GH¢2,650.
Written by urgent.news from 3News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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