The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has raised alarm over the escalating crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector, warning that delays in payments and reduced producer prices are pushing farmers into debt and hardship.

The bishops called for urgent intervention to prevent further economic and social fallout in rural communities.

According to the statement, farmers have been suffering for months due to unpaid deliveries of cocoa, with the situation compounded by recent reductions in the producer price.

“For months, many farmers have endured delays in payment, resulting in unpaid labour, disrupted schooling, mounting debt, and growing vulnerability to illegal mining,” the Conference noted.

The bishops stressed that Ghana’s cocoa farmers should not bear the brunt of structural and historical shortcomings in the sector.

“Equity and justice demand that accumulated surpluses from profitable years be used to support farmers in difficult times. Penalising them for circumstances beyond their control is morally indefensible,” they said.

The statement also highlighted Ghana’s declining position in the global cocoa market, with Ecuador, Nigeria, and Cameroon emerging as significant competitors.

Climate stress and land degradation from illegal mining were cited as additional threats to productivity and sustainability.

Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Conference, called for immediate payment of arrears, transparent financial restructuring, and investment in youth and research.

“The rescue of Ghana’s cocoa industry is a moral duty. Justice for cocoa farmers is justice for Ghana,” he emphasised.