News
Producer price of cocoa jumps from $3,100 to $5,040 per tonne – Finance Minister
The Government has announced a significant increase in the producer price of cocoa ahead of the 2025/2026 crop season, which opens on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
According to the Minister for Finance, Mr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the new price has been reviewed upwards from US$3,100 per tonne to US$5,040 per tonne.
He stated that it represents a 62.58% increase in dollar terms and aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to pay cocoa farmers 70% of the gross Free-On-Board (FOB) value of cocoa.
Mr. Forson, who chairs the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), said the decision followed a committee meeting to review pricing for the upcoming season.
He explained that the $5,040 per tonne figure represents exactly 70% of the gross FOB value of US$7,200 per tonne, an improvement over the previous government’s 63.9% payment to farmers under the 2024/25 season.
He noted that the FOB value was calculated using about 100,000 tonnes of cocoa sold at US$2,600 per tonne in the 2023/2024 crop year, coupled with price forecasts for the 2025/2026 season.
He added that at an average exchange rate of GHS10.25 to the US dollar, the increase also affects the Ghana cedi equivalent of cocoa prices.
Mr Forson indicated that farmers will now receive GHS51,660 per tonne, up from GHS49,600. This translates to GHS3,228.75 per bag of 64-kilogram gross weight.
The new pricing regime takes effect from Thursday, August 7, 2025.
By: Jacob. Aggrey
The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old driver, Bismark Kpormeno, for possession of a large quantity of compressed plant materials suspected to be Indian hemp.
The arrest was made on Sunday, 31 May 2026 by officers of the Tema Highway Patrol Unit during an operation along the Tema-Ada road.
According to police, the suspect was driving a Hyundai Mighty I container truck and failed to stop when signaled. He attempted to evade arrest but was pursued and apprehended at Bondase.
A search of the vehicle revealed twelve 12 sacks and eighty 80 parcels of compressed plant materials concealed in a container and wrapped in sellotape.
Preliminary investigations show the narcotics were allegedly loaded at Kpeve in the Volta Region and were being transported to Ada.
The suspect is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. The truck and exhibits have been impounded for evidential purposes.
The Tema Regional Police Command says it remains committed to combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
They also urged the public to support law enforcement by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities.
Firefighters from the Peki Fire Station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded swiftly to a fatal head-on collision involving a Mercedes-Benz container truck (WR 1553-C) travelling from Nkwanta to Accra and a Mercedes-Benz passenger bus (GR 3215-E) travelling from Battor to Kabiti in the Oti Region.
The crash occurred at Peki-Tsame near Peki Senior High School in the early hours of Tuesday, 2nd June 2026.
A total of forty (40) persons were involved, comprising twenty-one (21) males, fifteen (15) females, and four (4) children.
Through a coordinated rescue operation, firefighters extricated 25 injured casualties, including 23 adults and two children.
Sadly, 15 persons lost their lives, made up of nine males and 6 females.
The injured were conveyed to the Peki Government Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were handed over to the Police, who conveyed them to the hospital mortuary for preservation and further investigation. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The Ghana National Fire Service has extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and urges all motorists to observe road traffic regulations, avoid dangerous driving practices, and exercise maximum caution on the roads to help prevent accidents and save lives.
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