Hundreds of cocoa farmers in Ghana’s Atwima Mponua District have taken to the streets, protesting the government’s failure to release funds owed to them.
Clad in red bands to signify distress, the farmers presented a petition to the Atwima Mponua District Assembly, urging immediate intervention to resolve the long-standing payment delays.
The protest involves approximately 18,200 farmers, all of whom are facing severe financial difficulties due to the government’s failure to pay cocoa purchasing clerks on time. According to the Ghana National Association of Cocoa, thousands of their members have been adversely affected by the non-payment, raising serious concerns about the livelihoods of farming families.
“This situation is unacceptable. We are struggling to survive, and the government needs to take immediate action,” one of the protesting farmers said, expressing the growing frustration among the cocoa farming community.
The protest is linked to a larger financial issue, with the Minority in Parliament calling on the government to pay over 10 billion Ghana Cedis owed to licensed buying companies for cocoa beans supplied since November 2025.
In a show of seriousness, the farmers have issued a three-week ultimatum to the government, warning that nationwide demonstrations will follow if the outstanding arrears are not settled.
“If the COCOBOD CEO does not take any action, he should expect something ugly from next week,” Kwame Tufuor, a farmer involved in the protest, cautioned.
The demonstration highlights the urgency for government intervention to prevent further financial distress among cocoa farmers, whose welfare remains critical to Ghana’s economy and the stability of its cocoa sector.
