The Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Development and MP for Amenfi West, Eric Afful, has blamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the ongoing crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector. He argued that the NPP has no moral standing to criticize the current government over the difficulties facing cocoa farmers.
Hon. Afful stated that the challenges faced by cocoa producers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) originate from decisions made during the NPP administration between 2021 and 2024, especially concerning cocoa financing arrangements. In a statement released on Wednesday, he revealed that during the 2023/2024 crop season, the NPP government secured an $800 million cocoa syndication facility intended for purchasing and delivering cocoa beans to international buyers and creditors. However, he claimed that by the end of the season, approximately 333,000 metric tonnes of cocoa had not been delivered, and the funds could not be accounted for in the books of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). This situation, he said, made COCOBOD less attractive to creditors and prevented the institution from accessing cocoa syndication facilities for the 2024/2025 season.
Mr. Afful explained that the lack of seed funding led to the collapse of several LBCs, including the Produce Buying Company (PBC), resulting in disruptions at the farm gate and increasing hardships for farmers, transporters, and workers along the cocoa value chain. He emphasized that this crisis has severely impacted rural economies, where cocoa remains a vital source of livelihoods and income.
He further noted that the current NDC government has taken steps to revive the cocoa industry, including introducing alternative financing mechanisms since January 2025 to replace the syndication system. The Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance are working to establish immediate funding solutions to sustain cocoa purchases. Additionally, programs like the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme are underway to boost production, which has declined from about 967,000 metric tonnes in 2016 to below 400,000 metric tonnes in 2024.
Regarding farmer welfare, Mr. Afful disclosed that the government has reintroduced a free fertilizer policy for cocoa farmers through a cooperative distribution system, reversing the previous practice under the NPP where fertilizer was sold to farmers. He also mentioned that cocoa farmers are currently receiving about 70 percent of the world market price for their produce, and the government is working to deliver the remaining 333,000 metric tonnes of undelivered cocoa from the previous administration.
In conclusion, Hon. Afful asserted that the NPP has no moral right to accuse the current NDC government of mismanagement at COCOBOD. He emphasized that the present administration is actively addressing inherited challenges and working to restore the cocoa sector’s stability and growth.
