Fiifi Boafo, the Director of corporate affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has cautioned the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson to desist from any attempt to politicise the pricing of cocoa.
Ato Forson said the 21% increase in the producer price of cocoa, which has been pegged at GHC800 per bag is too small.
Talking to the sit-in host of The Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (6 October), Boafo said such utterances will not inure to the benefit of Ghana .
“Ato Forson said the cocoa day event that was organised, was poorly attended, an event that had over 2,000 persons present, that tells you what he sought to portray,” Boafo said.
“He made a point that, if you juxtaposed what Ivorian farmers are receiving and what Ghanaian farmers are receiving, we should pay our farmers more.
“I don’t think we should politicise pricing of cocoa because if you do so, it does not inure to the benefit of our country,” Boafo said.
Cocoa producer price increased by 21% per tonne
Meanwhile, the government has increased the producer price of cocoa to GHC12, 800.00 per tonne, which translates into GHC800 per bag of 64 kg gross weight for the 2022/ 2023 cocoa crop season.
This represents an increase of 21% from GHC10, 560 per tonne, taking effect from Friday 14 October 2022.
Announcing the new cocoa price, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister for Food and Agriculture, and chairman of the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), said that the new producer price of cocoa represents 89.99% of the net freight on board (FOB) value.
“The 21% rise in the producer price of cocoa is a testament to government’s resolve to ensure farmers earn a decent income and make cocoa farming lucrative. The government will continue to implement initiatives to build a robust, resilient and sustainable cocoa industry where cocoa farmers and their communities will thrive,” Afriyie Akoto said.
Last year, government maintain the producer price at GHC660 as the farm-gate price for a bag of 64kg of cocoa for the 2021/2022 crop season. This was in spite of the fall in the world market price of cocoa, among other factors, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.
In effect, the decision maintained the producer price at GHC105, 600 per tonne, representing 87.15% of the FOB value, as a demonstration of its commitment to improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
Mass spraying
The minister assured farmers that government will continue to assist cocoa farmers through the mass spraying program to control pests and diseases and the rehabilitation of infected cocoa farms.
In order to boost farm productivity, the government will also help cocoa farmers by making necessary inputs like fertilizers available for purchase. The government is committed to continuing to offer high-yielding, early-bearing, and drought-tolerant planting materials that have received certification.
“The government will also assist cocoa farmers by making the requisite inputs such as fertilizers available for farmers to buy to increase farm productivity. Government is committed to continuing to supply certified planting materials that are drought tolerant, early bearing and high-yielding,” he said.
EU due diligence
To help the country comply with EU due diligence requirements, the government is developing the Cocoa Management System (CMS) through COCOBOD.
This, the minister noted that the government is still committed to preventing child labour and deforestation from occurring during the production of Ghanaian cocoa.
After its completion, the CMS will create a legally binding national traceability system that will be open and accountable. By doing this, it will be possible to trace every single batch of Ghanaian cocoa beans back to the farm where they were grown. According to the EU’s due diligence requirements, this is a crucial requirement.
“Once completed, the CMS will establish a national mandatory traceability system which will be transparent and accountable. This will ensure that all Ghana cocoa beans are traceable from the port of shipment to the plot of land that produced the beans. This is a key requirement under the European Union Due Diligence requirements,” he said.
“I am pleased to inform you that the first component of the CMS, which involves the establishment of a reliable farmer database (farm mapping and enumeration), is expected to be completed by the end of October 2022,” the minister stated.