The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassel Ato Forson has revealed that government has been cushioning cocoa farmers since the second quarter of 2025 by absorbing the exchange rate impact of a strengthening Ghana Cedi.
According to him, the government took deliberate steps to maintain the cedi equivalent of the then producer price of US$3,100 per tonne at GHS16 to the dollar, translating to GHS49,600 per tonne.
“This measure by Government was to protect the cocoa farmer against the loss of income due to the strong performance of the Cedi,” Dr Forson explained during the announcement of the new cocoa producer price for the 2025/2026 season.
He noted that without this intervention, farmers would have received far less per bag due to the appreciation of the local currency.
“By maintaining the price at GHS3,100 per bag for several months now amidst the strong performance of the Ghana Cedi, Government has subsidised the cocoa farmer with an amount of GHS1,114 for each bag of cocoa sold since the second quarter of 2025,” he disclosed.
Dr Forson added that this strategy has drastically improved the farmers’ share of earnings from cocoa exports.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, this intervention by Government moved the farmer share of the FOB from 63.9% to over 99%,” he stated.
The move has been widely interpreted as a signal of the Government’s renewed commitment to ensuring farmers remain at the centre of Ghana’s cocoa economy, even in the face of macroeconomic shifts.
By Victor Lavor
