Increase producer price of cocoa - Minority group

The Minority group in Parliament on Tuesday, called on the government to increase producer price of cocoa to stem the smuggling of the commodity to neighbouring countries.

This, it said, would maximise Ghana's cocoa output and take advantage of the current high world market price of the commodity.

In a statement, the Minority spokesman on cocoa, Mr. I.K.N Ofori, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sefwi-Wiawso said the increase has become necessary due to the fact that world market prices of cocoa has risen above 2,000 dollars per tonne.

It said considering Government's policy to pay farmers between 67 and 70 per cent, of the international market price, a fair producer price for farmers should be about twelve million cedis per tonne or 745,000 cedis per bag.

The Minority said a timely increase of the producer price would help check the tide of cocoa smuggling, which was estimated at 50,000 tons in the last cocoa season. This, according to him would also motivate the hard working farmers to increase their productivity.