The Volta and Oti regions of the country are grappling with significant losses of valuable moist cocoa beans due to the operations of smugglers who transport them across the border to the neighboring Republic of Togo.
This situation has been exacerbated by the deteriorated condition of cocoa warehouses, many of which have perforated roofing sheets and have not been renovated after being damaged by rainstorms.
The structures in Jinijiso, Teteman, Guaman, Lolobi Kumasi, as well as Hlefi, Saviefe, and Dodome, which served as crucial purchasing points, are currently inadequate and unfit for their purpose.
Cocoa farmers, in conversations with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), have expressed their concerns about the structural conditions of these warehouses, which do not provide assurance for the safety of their cocoa beans prior to sale.
GNA’s intelligence findings have revealed that farmers find it more convenient to sell their cocoa beans to buyers from Togo, as they offer a ready market and immediate cash. This choice is often prompted by the fact that the Produce Buying Company, which is designated to purchase the commodity for the government, is sometimes unavailable for procurement.
Compounding the issue, buyers from Togo are known to purchase moist cocoa beans, relieving farmers from the burden of ensuring their beans are sufficiently dried. In contrast, buyers from Ghana only pay for dried cocoa beans.
In October 2022, the Government of Ghana elevated the price of a 64 kg bag of dried cocoa beans from GH¢660 to GH¢800.
Nana Kwame Abass, the former Volta/Oti Regional Chief Cocoa Farmer, expressed that farmers within the two regions had welcomed the government’s announcement of the new cocoa price. He acknowledged that while farmers had initially hoped for GH¢1,000 per bag, they recognized the value of interventions like the supply of plantain suckers, cocoa nursery support, mass spraying, provision of wellington boots, fungicides, and other assistance by the government. These interventions justified the acceptance of the GH¢800 price.
However, during the period between January and March 2023, cocoa buyers from Togo were purchasing a bag of moist cocoa beans at GH¢1,600, which later decreased to GH¢1,360. This pricing still remains higher than the prevailing Ghanaian price.
In this context, the activity of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) could potentially reflect a lower tonnage of cocoa purchased, possibly one of the lowest recorded in years.
A forest dweller known as Akpakpatsi, who navigates the forest areas around Lolobi and Likpe, shared with the GNA his numerous encounters with cocoa smugglers transporting the commodity under the cover of night to undisclosed destinations.
Although efforts by the GNA to access information regarding cocoa purchases in the Volta and Oti regions were unfruitful, it is believed that tens of thousands of tonnes of cocoa are lost annually due to smuggling in and through these regions.
A seasoned cocoa farmer divulged to the Ghana News Agency that the absence of proper warehouses should not serve as a justification for farmers to resort to smuggling, be it moist or dried cocoa beans. She emphasized the importance of the government fulfilling its promises to farmers and ensuring that every farmer benefits from government incentives.
This veteran farmer recommended that security measures at the various borders be consistently reinforced.
Mr. Gabriel Nukunu, the Volta/Oti Regional Manager of the PBC, confirmed his receipt of complaints regarding the condition of the warehouses and conveyed that he had forwarded these concerns to the appropriate authorities for resolution. However, he refrained from discussing the issues related to smuggling and cocoa bean purchasing due to the absence of media clearance.
During a visit to the Lolobi Kumasi warehouse, Mr. Boniface Addae, who identified himself as a Chief Carpenter, was observed working on a part of the warehouse that housed equipment and the officer responsible for purchasing cocoa beans.
In October 2022, Mr. Wilson Kwami Agbanyo, the Kadjebi District Chief Executive (DCE), called on Assembly members to collaborate in combating the smuggling of cocoa to the neighboring Republic of Togo. He emphasized the urgency to address this growing menace within the district.