Focus on cleaning up cocoa sector – Minority to Akufo-Addo

The Minority in Parliament has urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to focus on cleaning up the cocoa sector instead of blaming former President John Mahama for current issues within the sector.

The Minority say Cocoa farmers in the country today are far worse off than they were during the Mahama administration.

At a press conference addressed by the Ranking Member on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku said:

“Cocoa output has declined steadily, whilst all major projects in the cocoa sector have taken a nosedive since President Akufo-Addo assumed office. We therefore charge President Akufo-Addo to focus and clean the mess that he has created in the cocoa sector through his mismanagement and stop sounding needless political rhetorics.”

President Akufo-Addo had criticised Mr. Mahama for overseeing what he called zero progress in the cocoa sector.

But the minority is convinced the President rather needs to admit that he has “failed cocoa farmers in Ghana.”

“As we speak, the producer price of cocoa has remained static at GHS475 for three consecutive years. This is despite the fact that there has even been astronomical escalation in prices of fuel, building materials, food commodities and other goods and services, coupled with the fact that farmers now have to purchase fertilizers which were hitherto given for free,” Eric Opoku said.

In addition, the Minority accused President Akufo-Addo of having a “lack of sympathy for the plight of the poor cocoa farmer.”

“Aside the producer price of cocoa, the Akufo-Addo has continued to shortchange cocoa farmers in many ways. This government has refused to pay premium to cocoa farmers or account for same for over two (2) years now. As if that is not enough, this government has also cancelled the additional bonus of GHS5 per bag that erstwhile Mahama Administration was paying to cocoa farmers.”