Cocoa farmers will not be abandoned — Bawumia
The Flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured cocoa farmers that they will not be abandoned, following the presentation of a report by the Minority committee that toured cocoa-growing communities to engage farmers on challenges confronting the sector.
He said the concerns and recommendations in the report would be carefully studied to inform credible policy alternatives to improve the welfare of cocoa farmers.
The report was presented to Dr Bawumia by the committee, led by the Minority Chief Whip and NPP Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, after extensive engagements with cocoa farmers across the country.
Dr Bawumia said he had referred the committee's findings to the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture and Food Security for further study and recommendations.
“The cocoa farmer will not be abandoned,” he said, adding that the party remained committed to developing practical solutions to address the concerns raised by farmers.
Farmer protection
The former Vice-President recalled that in 2017, when global cocoa prices declined significantly, the then NPP government shielded farmers from the downturn by maintaining producer prices despite adverse market conditions.
According to him, the decision demonstrated the party’s commitment to protecting farmers and sustaining livelihoods within the cocoa value chain.
He noted that the welfare of cocoa farmers remained critical to the growth of the national economy and pledged continued attention to issues affecting the sector.
Policy review
The former Vice-President said the recommendations from the field engagements would provide valuable insights for policy formulation and strengthen efforts to address challenges facing cocoa-producing communities.
He expressed appreciation to the committee for undertaking the tour and engaging directly with farmers to gather first-hand information on their concerns.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, who led the committee, presented the report after consultations with cocoa farmers in various cocoa-growing areas.
The report is said to contain feedback from farmers, as well as recommendations to improve conditions in the cocoa sector.
Future measures
Dr Bawumia indicated that a policy announcement would be made after the review process, stressing that the outcome would focus on measures to restore confidence and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
He reiterated the importance of supporting farmers and ensuring that their concerns remained central to policy decisions affecting the cocoa industry.
