The President of the Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, has thanked President John Dramani Mahama for the new producer price of cocoa, which they describe as unprecedented. 

Farmers of the cash crop clad in traditional cloth filled the meeting area at the Flagstaff House looking satisfied after Government last week announced a review of the producer price from GH¢3,392 to GH¢5,520 per tonne for the 2014 cocoa season.

The increment represented a whooping 62.74% increase, and translates into GH¢345 per bag of 64kg of cocoa, and about 75% of the net FOB. 

Government also announced a GH¢5 bonus per bag of 64kg, and which will be paid at the time of the sale, totaling GH350 per bag, to avoid the previous situation where some LBCs refuse to pay farmers their bonus entitlement.

But even before the Alhassan Bukari could speak, Ashanti Regional Chief Cocoa Farmer led an appellation noting that “this government has helped us”.

Alhassan Bukari who led a delegation to the Flagstaff House on Wednesday, October 08, 2014 pointed out that despite a fall in cocoa price in recent years, government did not reduce its purchasing price for the key export product.

“If your friend does something good, he deserves to be commended” he said in twi.

Alhaji Bukari and his colleague farmers say, President Mahama and former President, John Evans Atta Mills, deserve special mention and thanks for their support, encouragement and interest in Ghanaian farmers. 

He pleaded with political parties not to play politics with cocoa farmers. The Association, he said, would praise government where it is due and point out mistakes when it is noticed.

The cocoa farmer said a radio station called him in an attempt to politicize the issue after he tried to find out if it would not have been better to ask more.

“No, he answered. “What government has done is satisfactory. If every government did the same consistently, the price would have reached about GH₵1000 by now”, Alhassan Bukari argued.

Alhassan Bukari said if he had been informed much earlier of the meeting, more coca farmers would have trooped to the seat of government to show appreciation.