Minority demands increase in farm-gate price of cocoa

The Minority in Parliament is demanding an immediate increase in the farm-gate price of cocoa. According to the Minority in a press release, global cocoa prices have been soaring in recent times, hitting an all-time high of $10,000 per ton. 'Only this week, we sighted an official document in which the Management of COCOBOD has granted approval for the purchase of fifteen (15) ipad keyboards for its Board of Directors at a staggering cost of GHS4,500.00 per unit," the release read in part. 'This is the clearest evidence yet, that the management of COCOBOD have prioritized waste and the comfort of their offices at the expense of hard working cocoa farmers,' the ranking member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agric and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku disclosed in a statement. He continued: 'Also, it is symptomatic of the recklessness and mismanagement that have plagued COCOBOD for the past seven years which accounts for the cumulative losses of GHS13.62 billion, recorded by COCOBOD since 2017. 'It i s the considered view of the Minority Caucus, that urgent steps be taken to save our dying cocoa sector now. It is therefore imperative, that government significantly increases the farm-gate price of cocoa, in consonance with the current world market price of cocoa.' Source: Ghana Web