Increasing cocoa prices not meant for votes - Akufo-Addo

The President, HE Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo has dismissed suggestions that government's decision to increase cocoa prices is to court the electorates for votes.

According to him, cocoa farmers deserve better than what they were receiving under the previous administration for the prices of the commodity.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Hello Fm's King Edward De Slave, President Akufo-Addo revealed that he had been working on this for a very long time to ensure that cocoa farmers are treated better.

He further pointed out it is in light of this that his government decided to provide more warehouses to improve the cocoa farming industry which actually is boosting the country’s economy.

"I, and the president of Côte d’Ivoire have gone into negotiations with various stakeholders in the cocoa industry just to ensure that the cocoa farmers receive what is due them.

The recent producer announcement in Cocoa Prices was not only done in Ghana, but our farmers in Côte d’Ivoire are also receiving the same so why will you say that the new cocoa price is for votes, he queried.

My government has an interest in the welfare of Ghanaians which was a document policy of the NPP Government," he stated.

President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the increment of new Cocoa producer price by 28% to ¢10,560 per metric ton starting from October 1, this year.

Addressing the Chiefs and the people of Sefwi Wiawso, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that the increment represents a hike of more than 28% over the price obtained in the outgoing crop year of 2019/2020.

During the launch of the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme, in Sefwi Wiawso on Thursday as part of day 1 of his 3-day tour of the Western North Region, he added that it is also the government’s intention to reward farmers for their work as part of it 2016 manifesto promise.

“By this substantial increase in the producer price, we are also delivering on our 2016 manifesto promise to reward handsomely the hard work of our cocoa farmers and their unequalled contribution to the economy of Ghana over the years,” he reportedly said.

According to him, the unstable nature of cocoa prices on the world cocoa market remains one of the biggest challenges

With Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire responsible for 65% of the raw cocoa beans used in making chocolates, the President bemoaned the fact that cocoa farmers from the two countries just US$6 billion from an over $100 billion chocolate industry.