Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the member of parliament for the Akim Swedru Constituency, has emphasized that cocoa farmers are in a significantly better financial situation under the Akufo-Addo administration than they were under John Mahama’s administration.
He claims that unlike the Mahama administration, which essentially destroyed the cocoa industry, the NPP implemented policies that improved it.
“A bag of cocoa in 2016 could buy only 13 bags of cement.
The same bag of cocoa in 2024 can give the farmer 30 bags of cement.
Dr. Bawumia has promised to review the 2024/25 producer price upward when elected as a president on December 7ths.”
“ Compared to the Mahama-led administration, the NPP government has done significantly better. The former NDC government cannot take credit for introducing a single policy or intervening in the cocoa business. This is so because both the current government and the Kufuor government were responsible for initiating and implementing the majority of the interventions in the cocoa business. They were only able to uphold a few of our policies at most ,” he added.
He said: “Farmer’s are far better-off today than yesterday and tomorrow looks even more promising. We are, however, constantly reminded of the immeasurable sacrifices and role our cocoa farmers play in the development of our country.
“As a result, we will keep introducing and putting into effect measures that will enhance COCOBOD and benefit all of our farmers.”
For this reason, he is urging cocoa farmers to cast a large number of ballots against Mr. Mahama, claiming that he will ruin the industry and undo all of the progress made during the Akufo-Addo government.
“Our warning to cocoa farmers, their dependents and all meaning Ghanaians is this: keep John Mahama’s hands away from your cocoa. He is the alternative and when it comes to the welfare and wellbeing of the Ghanaian farmer, John Mahama is dangerous. He does not know how to manage the economy. He does not know how to help the cocoa industry. He has no clue what the needs of the farmers are. To him cocoa is just an avenue for corruption. Leaving the industry to suffer.”
The government has increased the price paid to cocoa farmers at the farmgate to GHC48,000 per tonne for the new cocoa season.
This translates as GHC3,000 per bag of 64 kilogram gross weight.
