NPP challenges GH¢2,650 cocoa producer price for 2026/27 season

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the government’s decision to set the producer price of cocoa at GH¢2,650 per 64-kilogramme bag for the 2026/27 crop season, arguing that the amount is inadequate and may not meet the minimum threshold required under the law.

In a statement dated September 27, the party said the new price represents an increase of only GH¢63, equivalent to 2.4%, from the GH¢2,587 producer price that was in effect at the end of the 2025/26 cocoa season.

The NPP is also questioning the basis for the pricing decision, citing provisions of the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182). According to the party, the law requires the producer price for a cocoa season to be at least 70% of the Gross Free-on-Board (FOB) price realised by COCOBOD.

The opposition party said the government has indicated that the GH¢2,650 price represents 71.18% of the Gross FOB price. However, it disputed the calculation and called for greater transparency over the figures and methodology used to arrive at the announced price.

The concerns follow the government’s announcement of the new producer price on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The NPP further accused the government of failing to fulfil commitments it made to cocoa farmers during the 2024 election campaign.

According to the party, senior NDC figures, including President John Dramani Mahama, Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, visited cocoa-growing communities during the campaign and promised farmers a producer price of GH¢6,000 per bag.

The party said the NDC campaign team had also described the then producer price of GH¢3,100 per bag as exploitative and argued that cocoa farmers deserved to receive at least 70% of the international market price.

The NPP maintained that the prices subsequently announced by the government have fallen considerably short of those campaign commitments.