The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has taken on former President John Mahama for criticising the government’s increment of the farmgate price of cocoa beans for the 2023/2024 season.
President Akufo-Addo on September 9, while addressing cocoa farmers in Tepa of the Ashanti region announced a 63.6% upward adjustment from GH₵800 to GH₵1,308 per bag.
But in Mr Mahama’s view, it is a total rip-off as cocoa farmers will remain worse off than they were seven (7) years ago under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Reacting to Mr Mahama’s comments on Asempa FM Ekosii Sen, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo said the former President got it wrong.
He maintained that, they have not shortchanged the farmers.
The COCOBOD CEO stated that, the new increment is the most significant in Ghana’s history, adding the farmers are happy with it.
“We have been paying higher cocoa prices than Ivory Coast since 2017. The only time they paid more was last year. The 65% increment in cocoa price wipes out the current rate of inflation so farmers are better off,” he said.
The CEO further called on Mr. Mahama to acquaint himself with the process involved in determining the producer price of cocoa.
Mr Aidoo expressed optimism the new price will help to curb smuggling which has become the biggest bane of cocoa farmers in Ghana.
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