The spokesperson for Ghana Farmers Association, Nana Aduna II, has raised concerns over the structural changes within the cocoa sector.

He contends that the current policy directions are fundamentally skewed against the farmer, leaving them to absorb the shocks of institutional debt and price volatility without adequate state protection.

Speaking on JoyNews AM Show in February 13, 2026, Nana Aduna II questioned why cocoa farmers are the only group affected, especially at a time when many have reportedly gone unpaid for months.

“The question we would like to ask is, why are only farmers taking the hit?” he said.

“When you look at the trajectory of our cocoa system, there’s the farmer, the haulage system, licensed buying companies, and COCOBOD. That’s before the beans are even exported. So why is the farmer alone taking the hit?” he quizzed.

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He argued that if cost-cutting measures were necessary, they should have been applied across the value chain beginning with administrative expenditure, staff salaries and government margins — rather than reducing farmers’ earnings.

“The first step should have been to reduce the salaries of staff and the margins that the government makes by the same amount,” he said

“If COCOBOD staff were also affected, it would create a fairer system and a level playing field for farmers,” he added.

Nana Aduna II further expressed concern about the weakening influence of farmer groups over the years, which he said has undermined their capacity for collective bargaining and effective resistance.

“Farmer groups have been made poor and weakened over time. There is very limited collective bargaining. So how do we fight back? What tools do we have? Do we just put our hands behind our backs?” he asked.

SO/VPO

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