Ghana Cocobod can not reduce the price of the cocoa farmer

The director, at the office of Ghana's Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) chief executive, Mr. Fiifi Boafo, said the council could not reduce the price of the cocoa farmer, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advising the government to adjust the price to producer of cocoa to take account of the evolution of international cocoa prices.

According to the IMF, the downward adjustment had become necessary as the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) was tackling a funding shortfall of one billion Ghanaian cedis because of the government's inability to reduce prices. at production paid to cocoa farmers the harvest was falling.

But, on Monday, April 29th, at the SPACE FM MORNING FLIGHT show, Mr. Boafo categorically stated that COCOBOD can never reduce the price of the cocoa farmer.

Mr. Boafo gave reasons that led COCOBOD to make the decision not to reduce the producer price.

He stated that the Ghana Cocoa Board was of the opinion that, in order to determine the price, the country had to look beyond the economy, the effects on the environment and the social effects that would result from the reduction in the price of cocoa production.

He added that some cocoa farmers could entrust their cocoa plantations to illegal miners, known as operators of galamesy, which will definitively affect the cocoa sector in the country.

On the third reason why COCOBOD can not reduce the price of cocoa production, Boafo said that many interests, the strength and zeal of cocoa producers are gradually diminishing, as the revenues of this sector were low write at home about.

He said that it is for these reasons that the government will not reduce the price of the cocoa farmer; the government is struggling with a funding gap.

"We do not do politics with the price of the cocoa farmer. If we did, we would have succumbed to what the opposition parties say, that they are asking the government to raise the price, but we are not, "he said. -he declares.

He said the government compared the costs to the possible effects, namely the environmental effects, the social effects and the sustainability of the cocoa industry.

According to Mr. Boafo, the effects on the cocoa industry are huge, but the government has decided to keep the price to support the industry at the expense of the benefits that the government will get from the cocoa industry .

Mr. Samuel Abdulai Jabantiye, Member of Parliament for the Chereponi constituency in the Northern Region, and member of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, and Member of Parliament, has also stated that the minority in Parliament was not in agreement. with the advice that the IMF gives to the government.

According to Mr. Abdulai Jabantiye, if the government of the new Patriotic Party (NPP) is a responsive government, it should not follow the advice of the IMF in the name of the interests of the cocoa farmer.

He added that cocoa producers had not yet received incentives and that, if the producer price was still falling, many cocoa producers would exit the cocoa industry, with serious consequences for the cocoa industry. already degraded economy of the country.