Hundreds of cocoa farmers in Ghana’s Atwima Mponua District have taken to the streets in protest against the government’s failure to release funds owed to them, highlighting the deepening financial hardship in the farming community.
Clad in red bands as a symbol of distress, the farmers presented a petition to the Atwima Mponua District Assembly, demanding immediate intervention to address their plight. The protest involves approximately 18,200 farmers who are facing severe financial difficulties due to delays in the payment of cocoa purchasing clerks.
According to the Ghana National Association of Cocoa, thousands of their members across the district are affected by the non-payment, a situation that threatens the livelihoods of many families who depend solely on cocoa farming for survival.
“This situation is unacceptable. We are struggling to survive, and the government needs to take immediate action,” one of the protesting farmers emphasized.
The protest forms part of a broader issue, with the Minority in Parliament calling on the government to settle over 10 billion Ghana Cedis owed to licensed buying companies for cocoa beans supplied since November 2025.
In response to the continued delays, the farmers have issued a three-week ultimatum to the government, warning of nationwide demonstrations should the arrears remain unpaid.
“If the COCOBOD CEO does not take action, he should expect something ugly from next week,” Kwame Tufuor, a representative of the farmers, cautioned.
The protest underscores growing frustration among Ghanaian cocoa farmers, who are urging urgent government intervention to resolve the payment crisis and ensure the stability of the cocoa sector, a critical pillar of the national economy.
