NPP slams government over "unlawful" GH¢2,650 cocoa producer price for 2026/27 season

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the government’s GH¢2,650 producer price for a 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa for the 2026/27 crop season, arguing that the amount is inadequate and does not comply with the minimum pricing requirement under the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182).

The new producer price, announced by the government on September 25, 2026, represents an increase from GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag in the previous season. It is equivalent to GH¢42,400 per tonne, an increase of GH¢1,008 per tonne, or about 2.4 percent. COCOBOD says the new price represents 71.18 percent of the realised gross Free-on-Board (FOB) value of cocoa.

Under Act 1182, cocoa farmers are guaranteed a minimum of 70 percent of the realised gross FOB price. COCOBOD has said the GH¢42,400-per-tonne producer price complies with that requirement and followed consultations involving the Ministry of Finance, cocoa farmers, licensed buying companies, hauliers and processors.

However, the NPP’s Policy Secretariat disputes the government’s computation.

According to the party, the GH¢2,650 price falls below what it considers the lawful minimum when prevailing international cocoa prices and the US$400 Living Income Differential (LID) are taken into account.

The NPP cited international cocoa prices ranging from about US$5,500 to more than US$6,000 per tonne in recent months and argued that the producer price should instead be approximately GH¢2,968.44 per 64kg bag.

“Even on conservative assumptions, farmers are being underpaid by approximately GH¢318 on every bag, or more than GH¢5,000 on every tonne of cocoa they produce,” the party stated.

The NPP is therefore calling on the government to publish the calculations used to arrive at the GH¢2,650 price, including the realised gross FOB value, forward contract volumes, applicable exchange rates and the treatment of the LID.

The opposition party also criticised the government’s handling of cocoa prices during the 2025/26 season.

It recalled that the producer price was reduced in February 2026 from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, describing the move as arbitrary and unlawful.

The NPP further argued that the reduction was unprecedented in Ghana’s cocoa pricing history because it involved a downward revision of a guaranteed producer price during an ongoing crop season.

The party has also linked the latest pricing controversy to concerns over outstanding payments in the cocoa sector.

According to the NPP, the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers has reported that approximately GH¢4 billion worth of cocoa beans delivered to COCOBOD during the 2025/26 season remains unpaid. The party said the reported arrears have raised concerns among farmers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) about the financing and payment arrangements for the new season.

The NPP has consequently issued five demands to the government.

First, it wants COCOBOD to publish the full calculations underlying the GH¢2,650 producer price, including realised gross FOB values, forward contracts, exchange rates and the treatment of the LID.

Second, it is calling for a review of the producer price to ensure full compliance with Section 57 of Act 1182.

Third, the party wants the government to refund amounts it says were withheld from farmers following the February 2026 reduction.

Fourth, it is demanding the settlement of outstanding payments owed to cocoa farmers and LBCs from the 2025/26 crop season.

Finally, the NPP is calling for a credible financing plan to guarantee timely payments for cocoa purchases throughout the 2026/27 season.

The party maintained that the statutory 70 percent threshold should be applied transparently and based on the actual gross FOB value realised by COCOBOD.

The dispute comes as Ghana implements the new cocoa-sector reforms under Act 1182, which, among other measures, guarantees farmers a minimum 70 percent share of realised gross FOB value, introduces a new financing framework for domestic value addition and prohibits COCOBOD from engaging in quasi-fiscal activities.

While COCOBOD maintains that the GH¢2,650 per bag price represents 71.18 percent of the realised gross FOB value and therefore exceeds the statutory 70 percent threshold, the NPP is demanding further disclosure of the calculations behind the figure.