Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, ranking member of Parliament’s Economic Committee, has blamed the government’s failure to pay cocoa farmers on the overhaul of major development projects inherited from the previous administration, which he said were replaced with “poor” decisions affecting the sector.
Speaking in an interview, February 5, Oppong Nkrumah explained that these adjustments have disrupted the smooth functioning of the cocoa industry, leaving many farmers in financial distress.
“Some are not able to buy medication, some cannot pay for their children’s tertiary education, and are gradually falling into poverty just because of poor decisions made on the government side,” he said.
He called for urgent emergency liquidity support to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), enabling Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to pay farmers promptly.
His concerns follow earlier warnings from Isaac Yaw Opoku, ranking member of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, who urged the immediate payment of cocoa farmers for beans sold since November 2025.
Opoku noted that delays are pushing both farmers and the cocoa industry toward a crisis. According to him, COCOBOD currently owes LBCs over GH¢10 billion for cocoa already delivered, leaving the companies financially constrained and unable to continue purchases, further compounding the challenges faced by farmers.
