Cocoa farmers across the country are mounting pressure on the government to announce the new producer price early this week as promised.
The government is expected to open the 2022/2023 cocoa crop season early this week with the announcement of a new producer price as the Pension Scheme for Cocoa farmers rolls out nationwide in October.
The Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP), an independent campaign and advocacy platform for civil society actors in the cocoa sector wants Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to increase the Producer Price of Cocoa to ¢838 from the current ¢660 a bag for the 2022/2023 crop season.
The group explains that its working assumption of the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) of COCOBOD, which aims at ensuring that farm gate price is pegged at a minimum of 70% of the net Free on Board (FoB) price points that farmers should be receiving a minimum of ¢838 which translates into $98 per bag of the 62.5 kilogramme of cocoa beans.
Cocoa farmers gathered at a durbar in Suhum in the Eastern region to climax the 2022 Cocoa Day celebration held were however disappointed that the new producer price for the crop season was not announced.
Some of the farmers in the Eastern region said the late announcement of producer prices has always been to their disadvantage as cocoa buying companies with money buy the cocoa beans and hoard them for the new market price at the expense of the farmers.
Again, farm inputs prices have risen to the rooftop hence struggling to buy the same.
However, speaking on behalf of the sector Minister, the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture (Crops) Yaw Frimpong Addo urged the cocoa farmers to be patient as the producer price review committee concludes work for the determination of new producer price for the crop season to be announced early this week.
The Board Chairman of Ghana COCOBOD, Peter Mac Manu also disclosed that government will soon commence the rolling out of Pension Insurance Scheme for cocoa farmers in October this month in fulfilment of the promise made by President Akufo Addo in the 2016 general elections.
The Pension Scheme has been designed to enable cocoa farmers to make voluntary contributions towards their retirement, whilst COCOBOD makes a supplementary contribution on behalf of the farmers as well.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
