KEY POINTS
- Cocoa farmers say running a cocoa farm is a business.
- They argue government pricing robs them of fair value.
- Farmers demand fairness in cocoa pricing and transparency.
Ghana’s cocoa farmers are rejecting government control of producer prices, insisting their farming remains private enterprise and not state employment.
Nana Aduna II, spokesperson of the Ghana Cocoa Farmers Association, argued farmers deserve recognition as independent business owners investing labour, capital, and risk.
He warned that government’s pricing framework undermines farmers’ economic independence, denying fair compensation despite rising international cocoa prices.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, Nana Aduna II stressed farmers deserve payment based on international market realities, not political convenience.
He insisted politically convenient pricing exploits sacrifices, ignoring farmers’ crucial role in sustaining Ghana’s economy through cocoa production.
He maintained that farmers must not be subjected to politically convenient pricing decisions that disregard their true economic contributions.
Running a cocoa farm is a business
“Running a cocoa farm is a business; we don’t work for the government,” Nana Aduna II stressed. “We invest our own money, our sweat, and our labour. We expect to be paid what is due us, not what the government thinks is politically convenient.”
He criticised the recently announced producer price as inadequate, describing it as a let-down that fails to account for surging costs of inputs, labour, and living standards.
According to him, farmers had been led to believe a substantial increase was coming, only to face what he called “a meagre adjustment.”
“Government raised our expectations and dashed them. This is not sustainable. Farmers are being ripped off, and it is unacceptable,” he said.
Farmers demand fairness in cocoa pricing
According to MyJoyOnline, the cocoa farmers’ association is demanding greater transparency in how prices are set and urging the government to work with farmers as equal partners.
Nana Aduna II stressed that cocoa sustains Ghana’s economy, yet the farmers who drive the sector are treated like charity cases.
“We are not asking for favours; we are only demanding fairness. Cocoa sustains Ghana’s economy, yet the farmers who make it possible are being treated as though they are charity cases. That must change,” he said.
