Oppong Nkrumah Accuses Government of ‘Scamming’ Cocoa Farmers With Announced Cocoa Price

While Finance Minister Forson hailed the increase as significant, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah argued on Eyewitness News on Monday, August 4, that the real benefit to farmers is negligible. He said the actual increase in cedi terms is only GH₵128 per 64kg bag — from GH₵3,100 to GH₵3,228.

“The cocoa farmer is not interested in the FOB price they came to quote. The farmer is only interested in the price of a bag of cocoa,” he stressed.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also accused the ruling government of breaking a campaign pledge to pay cocoa farmers GH₵6,000 per tonne — a promise he says was used to win political support while in opposition.

“If they had actually pegged the price at GH₵6,000 as promised, then today they would have been announcing a reduction from GH₵6,000 to GH₵3,228. Does anybody believe this? That is hogwash,” he fumed.

He further accused the government of using “misleading figures” to paint a false picture of progress, arguing that farmers deserved a much larger farmgate price increase.

“Today, they are in power and they cannot afford even a decent 5%, 10%, or 15% increase in the farmgate price. They are only resorting to this gymnastics of FOB price and the others. I want to submit to you in all humility that the government has scammed the Ghanaian cocoa farmer,” he declared.