Cocoa farmers have picketed the headquarters of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in Accra, intensifying protests over falling producer prices and delayed payments that they say are pushing farming households into economic distress.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the farmers accused authorities of failing to honour commitments to protect their livelihoods.

Some of the inscriptions on Friday, February 20, read: “We worked, you lied,” “Government celebrates but our families mourn,” and “We can’t pay our kids’ school fees,” among others.

The messages captured the depth of frustration among farmers who say their incomes have been eroded despite their role in sustaining one of Ghana’s most critical export sectors.

The protesters are demanding an urgent upward review of the cocoa producer price and the settlement of outstanding payments owed to them by Licensed Buying Companies operating under COCOBOD’s supervision.

"The prices were not reduced under the previous regimes; why is this administration reducing it. We have no problem with the government, they should just leave the prices to remain the same," a frustrated woman told journalists.

According to the farmers, delays in payment and the recent downward adjustment in cocoa prices have made it increasingly difficult to cover basic household needs, including school fees, healthcare, and farm maintenance.

“We depend entirely on cocoa. When payments delay or prices drop, our families suffer,” one protester said, adding that many farmers are struggling to prepare for the next crop season due to lack of funds.

The demonstration at COCOBOD headquarters follows similar protests in cocoa-growing regions, particularly in the Western North Region, where farmers marched through major towns to protest the reduced farmgate price.

The unrest comes amid broader challenges facing Ghana’s cocoa sector, including global price volatility, declining output in some regions, and financial pressures on COCOBOD.

Although COCOBOD has announced payments to Licensed Buying Companies to facilitate farmer payments, many producers say the relief has yet to reach them at the farmgate level.

Farmer groups warn that without immediate intervention, many producers may abandon cocoa farming altogether or reduce investment in their farms, potentially affecting future production levels.