The General Agricultural Workers’ Union of Ghana (GAWU) has called on the government to raise the farmgate price of cocoa beans to help Ghana compete with other cocoa-producing countries.
This follows the recent arrest of a driver and his mate by the anti-cocoa smuggling taskforce of the Ghana Cocoa Board, in collaboration with national security operatives for attempting to smuggle 100 bags of cocoa beans at Old Akrade in the Asuogyaman District.
In an interview with Citi News, the National Chairman of GAWU, Michael Amoo-Gyasi, stressed the importance of stabilising the Cedi and improving cocoa prices to help curb the smuggling of cocoa beans.
“This smuggling, because of price variation across the border, I mean the price offered in the neighbouring countries, such as Togo and La Côte d’Ivoire, is far above us. A 50kg bag of cocoa beans costs about GH¢8,000, whilst here in Ghana it is about GH¢3,000.
“So that price variation of about GH¢5,000 incentivises the smugglers to do so because they will reap a lot of differences in the price variation.
“So if the government can do that, unless it increases the prices, at least at the farmgate level, to a bit closer to the prices being offered by our neighbouring countries, which will disincentivise the smugglers from sending it there because if they will not gain much from the smuggling if they take out their transport and logistical charges.”
