CSOs push for 15-20% increase in Ghana cocoa price

The Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) says it expects a minimum of 15 to 20% increment in the farmgate price of cocoa for 2022/2023 cocoa season.

According to them, the increase is needed to offset the negative impacts of illegal mining activities, fast depreciating cedi and inadequate wages of farmers.

They noted that increasing the farm gate prices will be commensurate with the work farmers put into producing cocoa beans and also make the cocoa industry very competitive.

A statement issued by the GCCP indicated that cocoa farmers and land owners are now giving their lands to miners due to the uncompetitive cocoa prices on the international market.

The release indicated that farmers now do not feel that their efforts and toils are properly and fairly being compensated hence they opt for other options which are to cash in and move out of the cocoa space.

Therefore, the GCCP is of the firm opinion that farmers in Ghana should be receiving a minimum of GH₵838 ($98) per bag (62.5kg) of cocoa beans.

“This figure was arrived at using the lowest projected values available including an Living Income Differential (LID) of $400 per tonne as agreed,” the release said

The release further indicated that there has been a drastic drop in the origin differential/country premium from over $400 to a current $65.

As such, they expected a net country cocoa selling price which is the producer price to be not less than $2,103.

“Based on the 2020/2021 parameters for calculating the net Free on Board (FoB) for cocoa beans, we expect the net FoB for 2022/2023 cocoa season to be not less than 80% of the prevailing producer price, which should be around $1,682,” it said.

On the other hand, the GCCP commended COCOBOD for its effort in modernising the management of cocoa supply chain in Ghana.

They noted that COCOBOD has rehabilitated moribund farms in the Western North region, even if it had its challenges.

They also acknowledged the tremendous efforts made by other development partners toward the long-term sustainability of the cocoa industry.

“We hope that it wouldn’t only be all talks but real on-the-ground actions will be implemented to bring the changes we all want to see in the cocoa sector,” the GCCP added.

They thus celebrated government’s commitment to cocoa farmers through the numerous interventions being implemented to ensure their well-being and are anxiously awaiting the announcement by COCOBOD on the farm gate price for cocoa in the 2022/2023 cocoa season.