President John Dramani Mahama has assured cocoa farmers that government reforms will bring a complete transformation of the cocoa sector, promising fair and transparent pricing that covers production costs and allows farmers to earn decent margins.
Speaking during his 2026 State of the Nation Address in Parliament, President Mahama acknowledged the concerns and protests from farmers over the recent downward review of the cocoa producer price.
“Mr. Speaker, while fully understanding the concerns and protests of our farmers, I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by the government will see a total transformation of the cocoa sector. And it will guarantee them a fair and transparent price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and making decent margins,” he said.
He added that the decision to reduce the cocoa price, though difficult, was necessary for the long-term stability of both the sector and the national economy.
According to President Mahama, failing to adjust the price would have forced the government to borrow heavily to meet sector obligations.
“In the last week, we achieved competitive pricing and resolved the acute liquidity challenges in the sector. Mr. Speaker, failure to do this, as others did and left a debt of 32 billion for this government to pay, failure to do this would have meant borrowing billions in borrowed funds.
“Mr Speaker, this unplanned expenditure would have taken us right back to the very devastating economic problem we have only recently begun to escape,” he added.
