Ghana’s cocoa farmers are counting massive losses from poor roads and a dismantled buying network, issues thrust into the spotlight during National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s ongoing tour. In Sefwi Akontombra, District Chief Executive (DCE) Hon. Appiah Joseph warned that the previous government’s dissolution of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) has crippled the entire sector, leaving remote communities disconnected from markets.
Asiedu Nketia, addressing crowds on the tour, reaffirmed the NDC’s pledge to drive Ghana’s development through accountability and by sustaining legacy projects that uplift citizens. He revealed the party’s tough decisions on cocoa pricing. We wanted a big increase for farmers, but the huge debts left in the cocoa sector forced our hand to a modest rise. Pointing to COCOBOD’s deeper troubles, he called for public scrutiny of mismanagement that’s starved the industry of funds.
Hon. Appiah Joseph echoed these concerns in an interview, highlighting how crumbling roads keep licensed buying companies away from hard-to-reach areas. “Cocoa sits unpurchased, rotting in sheds while farmers lose everything, he said, urging swift infrastructure fixes. These frontline accounts from the tour paint a stark picture of a vital sector on the brink.
The NDC leader positioned these challenges as a rallying cry, vowing to prioritize cocoa revival amid broader economic reforms. As global demand for Ghanaian cocoa holds steady, Asiedu Nketia’s tour underscores the political stakes: fix the sector, or watch livelihoods fade.
Story by: Ohemaa Adusi-Poku