Don’t cheat cocoa farmers, it’s unethical

Deuteronomy 24:14–15: “Don’t abuse a labourer who is destitute and needy,
whether he is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner living in your land and in your
city. Pay him at the end of each workday; he’s living from hand to mouth and
needs it now.

“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God
the things that are God’s.”

The above quotes admonish us to be honest and just in our societies and not take advantage of the vulnerable.

The recent increment in the farm gate prices of cocoa beans announced by the
The Ghana Cocoa Board is insufficient, unethical, and unacceptable. The price of
cocoa beans has been raised to $10, 000 per metric tonne globally; however,
Ghana Cocoa Board has announced a paltry 58.26 percent increment to cocoa
farmers in the country.

Comparing the global price increment and converting the same to the Ghanaian
currency, this gives us GHC 9,000 per bag; however, the government is giving
cocoa farmers pay GHC 2,070 per bag, while the government keeps GHC 6,930
from every bag of cocoa produced by these hard-working farmers.

Why? This is the perfect description of “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.” It is a clear case of where the one who does the job reaps the benefits
accruable therein.

What work has the Cocoa Board done to deserve over 300 percent of what the
poor ordinary farmer gets? This is highly unacceptable and against the rules of
natural justice. We cannot sit aloof and watch while the government keeps
ripping off our farmers. The precious cocoa beans have for decades, been so
influential in sustaining the socio-economic development of this country. The
least we can do for these hard-working and patriotic farmers is to give them
their due according to their sweat.

The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers have rightly described the 58.26% increment
as insulting, they couldn’t have described it any better. The Akufo-Addo-
Bawumia government should desist from treating cocoa farmers as if they are
scroungers who rely on the government’s benevolence, no, they work hard and
deserve to be rewarded accordingly.

There are dire consequences if we allow the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government to continuously treat our cocoa farmers with disdain. The government must treat the cocoa farmers with respect and reward them to encourage and motivate them to continue producing this precious crop.

In recent times, more cocoa trees have been cut down to make way for illegal miners to mine on the lands; this is a result of the ill-treatment being meted out to cocoa farmers by this government. Cocoa farmers are sometimes tempted or compelled to smuggle their beans to the neighbouring Ivory Coast for much more reasonable prices. The only way this will stop is to give our cocoa farmers their due.

I crave the indulgence of all Civil Services Organizations, Non-Governmental
Organizations, the clergy, and academia should rise and speak the truth to the
government to review this act of injustice to our cocoa farmers. It is unethical
to treat the labourer unjustly. If you roast your tongue and eat it, you have not consumed any meat.