President John Dramani Mahama’s emergency Cabinet meeting on Ghana’s cocoa sector comes amid growing pressure on the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to settle outstanding payments owed to farmers and address deepening challenges in the industry.
Criticism has intensified from political and policy figures, including former presidential staffer Dennis Miracles Aboagye, who described recent assurances by COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer Dr Randy Abbey as unconvincing. According to Aboagye, the crisis dates back to November 2025, yet farmers are still being told in February 2026 that solutions are being sought rather than implemented.
“I listened to the COCOBOD CEO, and I wasn’t inspired. This crisis started as far back as November 2025, and here we are in February 2026, still telling farmers you’re ‘looking for solutions’. That is not assurance,” he stated.
Dr Abbey has apologised to cocoa farmers for the difficulties facing the sector, stressing that COCOBOD and the government are actively working to resolve the situation.
Meanwhile, legal practitioner and policy analyst Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers has called for an urgent renegotiation of the cocoa farmgate price, warning that global market volatility has undermined the economic assumptions behind the current pricing structure. He argued that the government may struggle to sustain the GH¢58,000 per metric tonne farmgate price for the 2025/2026 season under prevailing conditions.
He emphasised, however, that farmers who have already delivered cocoa through Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) possess enforceable rights and must be paid what they are owed. Once existing obligations are settled, he urged policymakers to renegotiate future pricing transparently and realistically.
Brako-Powers also criticised the politicisation of the cocoa debate, noting that blame-shifting between COCOBOD and the government obscures the real issues, including global price fluctuations and long-standing structural challenges. He cautioned against oversimplifying the crisis by attributing it solely to syndicated loan arrangements, despite acknowledging concerns about their sustainability.
Calling for a fact-based national discussion, he warned against politically driven pricing promises that may ultimately harm both farmers and the state. He further reminded stakeholders that cocoa smuggling remains illegal and threatens the sector’s long-term viability.
The unfolding cocoa challenges are expected to dominate deliberations at the President’s emergency Cabinet meeting, as the government seeks practical solutions to stabilise the industry and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
