Cocoa price increment: Your crisis shows you're a failure — Atik Mohammed to COCOBOD

Atik Mohammed, a former General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC) has criticised the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) over its poor management of the cocoa sector, despite the recent increase in the producer price of cocoa.

The producer price of cocoa has seen a surge of 58.26 percent under the Akufo-Addo government, rising the price from GH¢20,928 per tonne to GH¢33,120 per tonne, effective from Friday, April 5, 2024.

The government has also approved a revision of the buyers’ margin to GH¢2,980 per tonne for the 2023/24 cocoa season to alleviate the impact of increased financing costs for Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).

While the government considers this increase as a positive development for cocoa farmers in the country, Atik Mohammed has expressed a contrasting view.

Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, he lambasted COCOBOD, asserting that the institution has failed Ghanaian cocoa farmers and has been ineffective in managing the cocoa sector.

According to Atik, COCOBOD is currently facing serious crises stating, "COCOBOD as an institution has failed. COCOBOD as an institution is in serious crisis.

“Currently, the production levels are low, and there is concern about the money to pay the farmers and so forth.

“When you take COCOBOD, it's cash-trapped," he remarked during the interview.