Engineer and policy analyst Kosi Dedey has called for greater transparency between the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the country’s cocoa farmers, warning that decades of limited openness have eroded trust in the sector.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Dedey accused successive governments of failing to be clear with cocoa producers, particularly when it comes to fulfilling campaign promises on producer prices.

“I think that all governments through the years have not been transparent with the cocoa farmers, and that is what is throwing up all these issues,” he said. “During the campaign era, the current government made promises about the amount it would allocate to cocoa farmers. At the moment, the farmers are asking, ‘Why this amount?’ when a specific figure in cedis was promised. These are things the government needs to look at.”

Mr. Dedey urged COCOBOD to “sit down, open up, be transparent with the farmers, and make sure that they are offering them the best deal,” adding that genuine engagement was key to restoring confidence in the pricing system.

His comments come in the wake of a major government announcement increasing the producer price of cocoa for the 2025/2026 season from US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne — a 62.58% rise in dollar terms.

The new rate, approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) chaired by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, will take effect on Thursday, August 7, when the new cocoa season begins. The adjustment fulfils a campaign pledge by President John Mahama to ensure cocoa farmers receive 70% of the gross Free-On-Board (FOB) value.

Under the new pricing, the US$5,040 per tonne producer price represents 70% of the US$7,200 per tonne FOB value. This marks a notable shift from the 2024/2025 season under the previous NPP administration, when the FOB was pegged at US$4,850 per tonne and farmers were paid US$3,100 — just 63.9% of the FOB value — despite more favourable global prices.

“Numbers alone are not enough,” Mr. Dedey emphasised. “The farmers must feel assured that they are getting the best possible deal — and that can only happen when COCOBOD is fully open with them.”