Leadership of cocoa farmers urged to organise demonstration to presidency to protest poor living income

Cocoa farmers in the country are struggling to survive due to the economic hardships in the country.

The farmers who contribute significantly to the development of the country are arguing that things are worst for them due to their poor living income.

The government through the Ghana Cocoa Board in October announced that it has increased the farm gate price of a bag of cocoa to GHS800, amounting to an over 20% increase from the previous price.

The increase in the producer price of cocoa meant that a tonne moved from GH¢10,560 to GH¢12,800.00.

Despite the increment, farmers are not feeling any impact especially due to the current economic crisis that is subjecting Ghanaians to severe hardships.

Speaking at the opening day of SEND Ghana’s two-day Conference on Living Income and Human Rights in Ghana's Cocoa Sector, Mr. Philip Bosomtwi Amoah who is President of the Ghana NGO Coalition on the Right of the Child (GNCRC) bemoaned the current living income of cocoa farmers in the country.

He charged the leadership of various cocoa farmer groups to mobilise their members and march to the presidency to demand better living income to ensure they can at least leave comfortable lives.

“We need to have a massive demonstration to move to the presidency. They are far away from us.

“The cooperative leadership should not just sit in their AC and enjoy. They should mobilise us and embark on a massive demonstration. That way the government will meet us and take action,” Mr. Philip Bosomtwi Amoah shared.

On his part, Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana President, Farma General Nana Oboadie Botchway Bonsu admonished stakeholders in the cocoa-producing sector to join forces.

He said cocoa farmers can only earn deserving living income if they unite to demand what is due them.

According to him, dire times are ahead if nothing is done to put a stop to the bad treatment meted out to cocoa farmers when it comes to their living income.

“The way things are going, gradually the truth is we are dying. We are dying slowly but we are not seeing. Some of us our whole life is cocoa.

“We need to be very strong [together]. When we come together as one like the GPRTU and after this Programme, SEND Ghana I think you need to get to the various communities. We need to come together, this is the time. When we waste time to next year the hardship that we will experience will be unbearable.”

SEND Ghana’s two-day Conference on Living Income and Human Rights in Ghana's Cocoa Sector started on Wednesday, November 9, in Accra, at the AH Hotel.

The conference is being organised in partnership with SEND Ghana’s German partners; INKOTA and SUDWIND.

The conference has assembled key stakeholders to discuss issues bothering on living income and human rights as a catalyst for ensuring improved welfare of cocoa farmers as well as increase government and private sector responsiveness for a sustained cocoa sector.

This overall outcome of the conference will contribute to strengthening multi-Actor partnerships to contribute to the development and implementation of new and innovative strategies to improve the living conditions of cocoa farming families and their communities.