The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has justified the government’s recent increase in the producer price of cocoa for the ongoing cocoa crop season.
Last week, the Ghana Cocoa Board announced a 58.26 percent increase in the producer price of cocoa, with the price per bag pegged at GH₵2,070 for the rest of the 2023/24 crop year.
Cocobod also pegged the new producer price of GH¢33,120 per tonne, up from the previous GH¢20,928 per tonne.
The statement said the new price has become necessary to enhance the income of cocoa farmers and it was reviewed after consultation with the stakeholders.
Speaking on Oman FM’s National Agenda program on Tuesday, the CEO of Cocobod, Mr. Joseph Boahen, said it has become necessary to enhance the income of cocoa farmers in response to the rising prices of cocoa on the international market, among other reasons.

In a related development, Mr. Amo Darteh, a political and social activist, added his voice to the announcement of the recent increase in the producer price of cocoa in Ghana.
He said the step is in the right direction to mitigate against smuggling, especially as Ghana’s neighbour and the world’s leading producer of cocoa, Cote d’Ivoire, last week announced a 50% increase in farm-gate prices.

Mr. Amo Darteh also opined that it is about time for Ghana to accelerate value addition to its raw cocoa beans and move away from the perennial increment in cocoa producer prices, which yield less for the economy.
The political activist and a member of the New Patriotic Party said it was about time the nation started focusing on measures that would add value to the cocoa beans.