The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, has apologized to cocoa farmers for what they are going through currently.
He assured that the issues are being resolved.
“First of all, I believe that cocoa farmers deserve an apology. On behalf of Cocobod, I would like to sincerely apologise to the farmers to assure them that the government and Cocobod have not slept over their matter. We are finding a solution, and we believe that very soon we will find a solution to this issue,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday Febraury 7.
Earlier, the Minority in Parliament strongly criticised the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) over what it describes as the failure to pay cocoa farmers close to GH¢10 billion, demanding the immediate settlement of all outstanding arrears and a formal apology to farmers.
According to the Minority Caucus, delays in payments for cocoa delivered as far back as November 2025 have plunged farmers in cocoa-growing communities into severe hardship, with many yet to receive payment despite repeated assurances from COCOBOD.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 5, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, said the situation had become untenable and was pushing both farmers and the cocoa industry towards crisis.
Mr Opoku explained that Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) have been unable to pay farmers because COCOBOD has failed to reimburse them for cocoa already taken over. He said COCOBOD currently owes LBCs more than GH¢10 billion, leaving the companies financially constrained and unable to continue purchases.
“As a result, farmers are being forced to sell their cocoa on credit, at heavy discounts, or return home with their produce unsold,” he said, warning that the situation poses serious risks to the cocoa sector and the national economy.
He accused the government and COCOBOD of failing in their responsibility to reimburse LBCs, many of which borrowed from banks and off-taker traders to pre-finance cocoa purchases. Mr Opoku rejected claims by COCOBOD that sufficient funds had been released to support cocoa buying, describing such assertions as misleading.
“The reality is that farmers have not been paid for cocoa sold to the Mahama-led NDC government since November last year,” he stated.
