Cocoa farmers will not be abandoned, Bawumia's policies will bring smiles back to their faces - Miracles Aboagye

A spokesperson for former Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured cocoa farmers that an NPP administration would prioritise their welfare and implement policies aimed at improving conditions within the cocoa sector.

Speaking after Dr. Bawumia received a report from a Minority-led committee that toured cocoa-growing communities across the country, Miracles Aboagye said the party remains committed to protecting the interests of cocoa farmers and addressing the challenges confronting the industry.

According to him, the report, which was presented by a committee led by Frank Annoh-Dompreh, contains key concerns and recommendations gathered directly from cocoa farmers during stakeholder engagements.

Aboagye recalled that when global cocoa prices declined in 2017, the NPP government shielded farmers from the full impact of the downturn by maintaining producer prices rather than passing market losses onto farmers.

“In 2017, when global cocoa prices fell, the NPP stood between the market and the farmer. Prices were not reduced, and farmers were protected,” he stated.

He indicated that the findings from the committee's tour have now been referred to the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture and Food Security for further analysis and the development of practical policy proposals.

“Today, as cocoa farmers cry out again, Dr. Bawumia has received the Minority’s committee report, which contains the feedback and recommendations from cocoa farmers, and history is about to repeat itself,” Aboagye wrote on social media platform X.

He added that Dr. Bawumia has tasked the party’s agriculture policy team to study the report and formulate credible policy alternatives for his consideration ahead of future engagements with stakeholders in the cocoa sector.

Aboagye expressed confidence that the party would soon announce measures designed to support cocoa farmers and revitalise the industry.

“The cocoa farmer will not be abandoned. A policy announcement is coming, and it will bring smiles back to the faces of Ghana’s cocoa farmers,” he said.

The assurance comes at a time when concerns over cocoa production, farmer incomes, and challenges within Ghana’s cocoa value chain continue to dominate discussions among industry players and policymakers.