Policy analyst and engineer Michael Kosi Dedey has called on the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to demonstrate greater transparency and efficiency in its dealings with cocoa farmers, warning that persistent opacity and administrative lapses are contributing to declining trust and worsening productivity in the country’s cocoa sector.
His remarks come in the wake of the government’s announcement of a new producer price of US$ 5,040 per tonne for the 2025/2026 season, a 62.58% increase from the previous year.
While the hike has been welcomed by some, Dedey argued that farmers’ dissatisfaction stems from far more than pricing, and has its roots in structural dysfunction at COCOBOD and a history of broken promises by successive governments.
Speaking in a media interview, Dedey stressed that the latest cocoa price, though substantial on paper, has triggered renewed concerns among farmers over the lack of transparency in how producer prices are determined.
“I think that all governments through the years have not been transparent with the cocoa farmers, and I think that is what is throwing up all these issues. During the campaign era, the current government made promises about the amount it would allocate to cocoa farmers.
“At the moment, the farmers are asking, ‘Why this amount?’ when a specific amount in cedis was promised. These are things that the government needs to look at”
Michael Kosi Dedey, Policy Analyst and Engineer
He urged COCOBOD to engage cocoa farmers more sincerely and provide detailed explanations for pricing decisions. The new rate, which takes effect from August 7 when the new season opens, was approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
It reflects President John Mahama’s campaign pledge to ensure cocoa farmers receive 70% of the gross Free-On-Board (FOB) value.
According to official figures, the current global FOB price for cocoa stands at US$ 7,200 per tonne, meaning farmers are now entitled to the full 70% benchmark. By contrast, under the 2024/2025 season, farmers received just 63.9% of a US$ 4,850 FOB, despite better global cocoa conditions at the time. Yet the dissatisfaction lingers.
Systemic Failures Undermining Production
Beyond pricing disputes, Dedey identified COCOBOD’s “operational inefficiency” as a major driver of Ghana’s declining cocoa yields. He noted that the institution had deviated from its original mandate of coordinating and protecting the interests of cocoa producers.
“I think that COCOBOD was established for a certain purpose, which is to coordinate the affairs of the farmers so that Ghana can get value for money. We should not treat this as an issue of politics”
Michael Kosi Dedey, Policy Analyst and Engineer
Ghana’s cocoa production has been on a downward trend in recent years, with various analysts linking it to a combination of aging farms, limited access to fertilisers, smuggling, and administrative inefficiency. Dedey argued that without addressing COCOBOD’s structural weaknesses, “no pricing policy – however generous – would be enough to reverse the sector’s decline.”
“We should look at the national interest and say, how do we look at COCOBOD and improve the efficiency at COCOBOD? Because it is responsible for what is happening at the moment”
Michael Kosi Dedey, Policy Analyst and Engineer
Dedey firmly cautioned against politicising the cocoa sector, emphasising that the ongoing blame game between the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) only delays meaningful reform.
He called for a sober, inclusive conversation about COCOBOD’s future, focused on efficient outcomes rather than party interests.
His concerns come amid ongoing agitation from cocoa farmer associations, some of whom have criticised the new pricing announcement as insufficient, pointing to rising input costs and supply chain difficulties.
Industry watchers argue that even with the price increase, many farmers may still fall below the cost-recovery threshold due to inflation and inefficiencies in the distribution of inputs.
While President Mahama’s administration has committed to delivering improved conditions for cocoa farmers through fair pricing and institutional reforms, experts like Dedey insist that delivery will depend on whether COCOBOD can be transformed into a more “transparent, farmer-centered, and accountable body.”
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