Farmers insist on cocoa reforms and direct dialogue after applauding Mahama’s victory:
In a fiery declaration, the Coalition of Concerned Cocoa Farmers Association has congratulated President John Mahama, but simultaneously delivered a stark warning for him to address their deep- seated grievances, or face the consequences.
Spokesperson Johnson Sieh, speaking with palpable intensity, laid bare the farmers’ desperate expectations for immediate and sweeping reforms within the struggling cocoa sector.
With a tone bordering on outrage, the coalition vehemently demanded an overhaul of the cocoa bean purchasing system, insisting on a structure that mirrors gold, where global price increases directly translate into farmers’ profits. “The time for crumbs is over,” Sieh declared.
The farmers have also emphatically rejected the current system of in-kind incentives, such as mass spraying and weedicide. They are now demanding that 70% of all government support be provided in physical cash. Citing years of broken promises, the farmers emphasized their distrust for any non- monetary compensation.
“We will not be ignored any longer,” Sieh warned, as he spoke passionately about the farmers’ demand for a direct meeting with the Mahama- led government.
Recalling the disastrous impact of the previous NPP government’s refusal to engage, he stressed that they will not tolerate a repeat of past mistakes. In a dramatic ultimatum, the farmers vowed to seek alternative pathways for selling their cocoa on the international market if the government fails to act swiftly to improve their sector.
The coalition also demanded immediate attention to their scholarship scheme which, they claim, is often diverted from its intended beneficiaries.
The farmers further insisted that a true expert from the cocoa industry must be appointed to lead the sector, ensuring that policies are both effective and beneficial.
Finally, they called on the new government to end the era of unfair political manipulation, promising that their lives will no longer be pawns in political games.
