A cocoa farmer has expressed worry over delayed payments and reduced producer prices, appealing to the government to settle all outstanding payments.

Speaking to the media during a recent engagement with the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the farmer, who depends solely on her late husband’s cocoa farm for survival, said the delays in payments have left her struggling to support her family.

“I am a widow. My husband was a cocoa farmer, and I depend on the farm for my livelihood. My last born is in senior high school, and I need to pay his WASSCE registration fees, but I cannot afford it because of the delay in payments,” she said.

A picture with a thousand-messages: The sad reality of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer

She appealed directly to President Mahama to show compassion toward widows and vulnerable farmers, urging him to ensure that outstanding payments are released without further delay.

“I am appealing to President Mahama to have mercy on widows like myself and release our monies to us,” she added.

Although the government has announced that funds have been released to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) for onward payment to farmers, many farmers have lamented that they are yet to receive their payments, even after waiting for more than four months.

The government has also reduced the producer price of cocoa to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag (GH¢41,392 per tonne) for the remaining 2025/2026 season.

This adjustment, down from the previously announced GH¢3,625 per bag, aims to align with fluctuating global market prices and ensure the sector's financial sustainability.

See the video below:

“My kid is a student at Effisco who’s due to write WASSCE but I don’t even have money to pay his registration fee, President John Mahama didn’t have sympathy for orphans and widows like myself in Cocoa Farmer, Mr. President, Please have some sympathy for us because we are… pic.twitter.com/lvPnwkEzP4

— SOLOMON AMOAKO (@AmoakoKwam) March 22, 2026