Cocoa farmers across several growing regions are expressing deep frustration following the recent reduction in the producer price, describing the move as a painful blow to their livelihoods.
The revised price of GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, announced for the remainder of the 2025/2026 cocoa season, has triggered anxiety among farmers who say they are already grappling with rising production costs and delayed payments.
In communities across the Western North, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions, farmers say the mid-season adjustment feels like a “haircut” on their hard-earned income.
However, to support the pleas from the farmers. The People’s Forum has launched a bold nationwide billboard campaign to spotlight the growing frustration among cocoa farmers following the government’s mid-season reduction of the producer price to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag.
The striking billboards, mounted across Accra and other strategic locations, feature the image of a visibly exhausted cocoa farmer seated among harvested pods in a forest. With his head resting on his hand, the farmer appears deep in thought beneath the bold inscription: “OUR SWEAT, THEIR EXCUSES – GH¢2,587 PER BAG? HOW DO WE SURVIVE?”
Designed in vivid red and white, the boards also carry the hashtags #CocoaFarmersMatter and #JusticeForFarmers, urging public engagement and solidarity while prominently crediting The People’s Forum.
The campaign follows the February 12, 2026, announcement by Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, that the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) had revised the cocoa producer price for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season to GH¢41,392 per ton, equivalent to GH¢2,587 per bag.
The adjustment represents a 28.6 percent reduction from the GH¢3,625 per bag (GH¢58,000 per tonne) price set at the start of the season in October 2025.
Government officials have defended the decision, citing a sharp drop in global cocoa prices—from record highs exceeding $10,000–$12,000 per tonne in late 2024 to approximately $3,600–$3,700 per tonne in recent months. They also referenced liquidity challenges at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), delayed payments to farmers since late 2025, and a backlog of unsold cocoa beans.
According to officials, the revised price represents roughly 90 percent of the achieved Free on Board (FOB) export value, an improvement over the previous 70 percent allocation.
Despite these explanations, the price cut has triggered strong backlash across cocoa-growing communities, particularly in the Western North, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions.
Farmers argue that rising costs of fertilizers, pesticides, and labor make the reduction unsustainable and threaten their livelihoods. Farmer associations and opposition voices have described the move as unprecedented, noting that mid-season price reductions are rare. Critics also accuse the administration of failing to fulfill earlier commitments of substantially higher producer prices, some previously projected at over GH¢6,000 per bag.
The People’s Forum describes its billboard initiative as a “wake-up call” aimed at drawing national attention to what it calls the “silent suffering” of cocoa farmers. The group says it has engaged directly with farmers through forums and consultations, reporting widespread anger and warnings of possible demonstrations if concerns are not addressed.
Photos of the billboards have quickly circulated on social media, generating mixed reactions. While many Ghanaians have expressed solidarity with farmers and praised the campaign’s creativity, others continue to debate the broader economic constraints facing the sector.
As Ghana’s cocoa industry—a pillar of the national economy employing millions—navigates global market volatility, The People’s Forum’s public display has intensified the conversation around farmer welfare. Whether the campaign will lead to policy review or renewed dialogue remains uncertain, but its message is clear: many farmers say survival under the current price regime is increasingly difficult.
