The National President of the Peasant Farmers Association, Wepia Awal Adugwala, has expressed concerns over the increment of cocoa producer prices for the 2023/2024 season.
In an interview with Bright Amaning on News Beat on Metro TV, Mr. Adugwala stated that the increase is insignificant considering the current high cost of living.
“Increment of cocoa producer price for 2023/2024 season is insignificant considering the current high cost of living. I think the increment has come at the right time it is only that we were hoping that it could have been a little bit higher considering the cost of production and inputs in the country,” he said.
A statement from the COCOBOD, the government-controlled institution that fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana on Friday, April 5, ,2024, noted that the government of Ghana, in consultation with stakeholders, has reviewed the producer price of cocoa for the rest of the 2023/24 crop year.
As per the release, the producer price of cocoa has been increased by 58.26% from GH¢20,928 per tonne to GH¢33,120 per tonne for the rest of the 2023/24 cocoa season. Translating into GH$2,070 per bag of 64 kg gross weight.
However, the President of Peasant Farmers Association pointed out that, as the price in the world market is rising to a little over $10,000, the government should have increased the farm gate prices a bit higher. This, he argued, would not only help farmers to share the profit with their neighbours but also help them keep up with the cost of production and deter some farmers from smuggling the beans.
He acknowledged that the increment has come at the right time, but expressed hope that it could have been a little bit higher considering the cost of production and inputs in the country.
Mr. Adugwala also highlighted the challenges that the cocoa sector is facing due to the activities of galamsey.
He explained that these activities are impacting cocoa farms, with some being invaded and waters used for spraying the farms being polluted.
This has led to farmers having to travel long distances to access water, thereby increasing costs.
“One of the challenges that the cocoa sector is facing is activities of galamsey. Clearly it is having an impact on the cocoa farms. Some of the farms have been invaded, water that cocoa farmers have been using to spread their farms, some of the waters have been polluted so farmers have to travel long distance to be able to access water to spray on the farm, and all those come at a cost”
Furthermore, he noted that due to the attractiveness of galamsey, there has been a rise in the cost of labour in the cocoa farms. This, he said, is why the increase in farm gate price should have been higher to take care of all these costs and help them produce more.
“When you also look at the labour to work in the cocoa farms, because of the activities of galamsey, galamsey seems to be more attractive as compare to labour in the cocoa farms. So the few people who have to work in the farms, have increased their prices making the cost of labour to go up”
“That is why I said the farm gate price should have been a bit higher to take care of all these costs to help us produce more. If not, like I say, things are really difficult for our members, ” Wepia Awal Adugwala lamented to Bright Amaning.
By: Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
