The Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has called on the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to explain why cocoa farmers are being paid GH¢2,500 per bag despite significant increases in cocoa export earnings and international prices.
According to the Institute, Ghana’s cocoa export earnings reportedly rose from US$1.94 billion in 2024 to US$3.86 billion in 2025, representing an increase of about 99 per cent.
It said the realised price of cocoa also increased from US$4,440 per tonne to US$5,877.40 per tonne during the period.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Prof. Isaac Boadi, the IERPP argued that based on the increase in cocoa prices, farmers should receive a clearer explanation of how the GH¢2,500 producer price was determined.
The Institute noted that using the previous producer price of GH¢3,100 as a benchmark, a proportional increase based on the rise in realised cocoa prices could have resulted in a price of about GH¢4,100 per bag.
IERPP stressed that export earnings alone do not automatically determine the price paid to farmers, as the cocoa sector has costs including transportation, processing, marketing and COCOBOD operations.
However, it questioned how the value generated in the sector was distributed, particularly following reports that COCOBOD recorded GH¢5.11 billion in earnings in the 2025 SIGA report.
The Institute has therefore called for a full breakdown of cocoa export earnings, costs, revenues and farmer payments to ensure transparency and accountability in the sector.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com
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