Cocoa farmers in Upper West Akyim and Lower West Akyim have issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to release outstanding cocoa payments, warning that failure to do so will compel them to organize a protest march to the Jubilee House.
Addressing the media at a press conference on Monday, the leader of the farmers, Mr. Sampson Adu Essel, said the prolonged delay in payments has pushed cocoa farmers into severe financial distress. According to him, many farmers were unable to celebrate the just-ended Christmas because they had not been paid for their cocoa produce.
He described the situation as deeply frustrating, explaining that some farmers’ children have gained admission to tertiary institutions but remain at home due to the inability of their parents to raise school fees.
Mr. Essel also took aim at the leadership of COCOBOD, calling on President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the current Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Randy, if he is incapable of resolving the challenges facing cocoa farmers. He argued that the sector requires leadership with a clear understanding of cocoa farming, insisting that the current CEO is better known as a “football person” rather than someone with practical knowledge of the cocoa industry.
He further warned that if the situation does not improve, farmers may be forced to cut down their cocoa trees to cultivate alternative crops such as rubber or oil palm, citing what he described as persistent unfair treatment of cocoa farmers by the state.
Adding his voice to the concerns, Mr. Bennett Kwasi Asu, also known as Old Soldier, President of the Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Ltd, called on the government to urgently release the funds to restore confidence and peace of mind among cocoa farmers.
Mr. Asu cautioned that continued neglect could drive farmers to abandon cocoa farming altogether, either by switching to other crops or leasing their lands to illegal miners (galamsey operators), a development he warned would have serious consequences for the cocoa sector and the national economy.
The farmers insist that immediate action is needed to prevent further escalation of the situation.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku