According to Sefa Kayi (R), the cocoa crises matter is broad and stems from government decisions
Media personality and host of Peace FM’s morning show Kokrokoo, Kwami Sefa Kayi, on the March 4, 2026 edition of the programme, criticised Rev Charles Owusu, former Head of Monitoring at the Forestry Commission, over what he described as the “personalisation” of the COCOBOD issues surrounding its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Randy Abbey.
According to Sefa Kayi, the matter is broad and stems from government decisions. However, Owusu’s discussion appeared to centralize blame on the CEO.
Speaking on the show, Charles Owusu argued that the government could have promised cocoa farmers to settle debts or cushion them against the recent price reduction when conditions improved.
He stated that the reduction in cocoa prices could have been prevented if COCOBOD had introduced forward sales.
“Who should have taken that decision at COCOBOD?” he asked, referring to the CEO.
Sefa Kayi interjected, “Why are you personalizing the issue? Why do you want to blame one person?”
Owusu responded, “Chairman, I don’t have issues with Randy Abbey, but the forward sales decision should not have been left to President John Dramani Mahama. It was the CEO’s responsibility. Also, one of our challenges has to do with politics. Someone with expertise can be transferred to a place where they become non-functional. If we don’t remove politics from this, we will keep facing challenges.”
Watch old 2024 video of Randy Abbey fuming over COCOBOD issues
Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana has announced a downward adjustment of the cocoa producer price for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season.
The new price is set at GH¢2,587 per bag, down from the GH¢3,625 announced at the start of the season.
The decision was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, during an emergency press briefing on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
It followed a critical Cabinet meeting held the previous day to address a deepening liquidity crisis that has left thousands of farmers unpaid for months.
The price reduction is a direct response to volatility in the international market. Cocoa prices, which reached historic highs of over $12,000 per tonne in late 2024, have since plummeted by more than 63% year-on-year, trading around $3,772 per tonne as of February 2026.
This “demand destruction,” where high chocolate prices led consumers to buy less, coupled with a projected global surplus of 287,000 metric tonnes for the current season, has forced Ghana to realign its farmgate prices with international realities.
AM
Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s exposé on the ‘dark side of Kayamata’ and its devastating impact
