The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has allegedly rejected chocolates distributed by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, to mark National Chocolate Week, in protest against the government’s recent reduction in the producer price of cocoa.
The Minority argued that the decision to slash the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,625 per 64-kilogramme bag to GH¢2,587 has worsened the hardship facing cocoa farmers.
The protest occurred during a statement delivered by Mrs Gomashie on the floor of Parliament to commemorate Chocolate Week, which coincided with Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 14.
Contributing to the debate, the NPP Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, said the gesture of distributing chocolates to MPs was misplaced at a time cocoa farmers were unhappy about reduced earnings.
Similarly, the NPP MP for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, alleged that some farmers had resorted to cutting down their cocoa trees in protest against the reduced producer price.
However, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mahama Ayariga, criticised the Minority for what he described as attempts to “incite” cocoa farmers.
He argued that chocolate consumption remains critical to sustaining the cocoa industry, adding that if people stopped eating chocolate, “who would fund the farmers?”
In a lighter moment, Mr Ayariga teased that Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh had secretly pocketed some of the chocolates, calling on parliamentary security to search his pockets a remark that triggered laughter in the chamber.
