Ashanti cocoa farmers demand payment of arrears ahead of Mid-Year Budget Review

Cocoa farmers in the Ashanti Region are calling on the government to make provisions for the swift payment of arrears owed to them ahead of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review on July 23, 2026.

The farmers say delays in receiving payments are affecting their livelihoods and farming activities.

They are also urging the government to release funds for the purchase of cocoa beans that have been rejected by buyers due to a lack of funds.

According to the farmers, large quantities of cocoa beans remain unsold in warehouses because purchasing clerks do not have the financial resources to buy them.

Speaking to OTEC News reporter Kwame Agyenim Boateng on Wednesday ahead of the Mid-Year Budget Review, some of the farmers expressed frustration over the situation.

They noted that many of them depend solely on cocoa farming for income to pay school fees, support their families, and prepare for the next farming season.

“We have worked hard and delivered our cocoa, but we have not been paid. Some of our beans have also been rejected because there is no money to buy them. We are pleading with the government to release funds so we can be paid and continue our work,” one farmer said.

The farmers are hopeful that the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, will address their concerns when he presents the Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday.

They said timely payment of arrears and the provision of funds for cocoa bean purchases will help sustain cocoa production in the region.