A coalition of Ghanaian cocoa farmers has threatened to bar officers of the national regulator from their farms to protest the newly announced producer price for the upcoming season, which they say could fuel illegal smuggling to the Ivory Coast and Togo.
More than 300,000 farmers expressed anger over what they consider inadequate compensation, with some saying they would smuggle their entire harvest to the Ivory Coast if they lived near the border, where prices are perceived to be more favourable.
Ghana on August 4 announced a fixed farmgate price of 51,660 cedis ($4,783) per ton for the 2025/2026 season, or 3,228 cedis per 64 kg bag, a modest 4% increase from the previous season.
Theophilus Tamakloe, vice president of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association, said the price falls short of the government's promise to pay 70% of the free-on-board price used in international trade, which should have yielded around 3,800 cedis per bag.
