Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku has dismissed the Minority Caucus in Parliament over its recent engagement with cocoa farmers in his constituency, sarcastically suggesting their visit did more to boost local alcohol sales than advance the interests of farmers.
Opoku, who also serves as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South Constituency in the Ahafo Region, made the remarks in an interview with Ambassador TV, responding to a tour the Minority Caucus conducted in cocoa-growing communities including Kukuom. “One thing I will commend the Minority in Parliament for is that, when they visited cocoa farmers in my constituency, it boosted alcohol sales because before they left, Kukuom recorded a shortage of alcohol,” he said. “So I believe that alcohol sellers in the community’s business will boost if they visit the community regularly.”
The minister went further to question the motivation behind the tour, accusing the Minority of pursuing political interests rather than genuinely representing farmers. “The Minority in Parliament are just engaging cocoa farmers in pursuit of their selfish interests and lies, because when they were in power, we exposed the previous government with the truth,” he said.
He added, “I feel ashamed when I see the Minority in Parliament spreading falsehoods to cocoa farmers just because of their parochial interests, but not in the interests of the cocoa farmers.”
Opoku drew a contrast between the current opposition campaign and what he described as his own principled criticism while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in government, arguing that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) opposition of that era grounded its advocacy in verifiable data. “When the NDC, including myself, were criticizing the then Nana Addo government, we criticized them based on the world market price and the dollar rate at that time. But this time, the minority in Parliament led by Annoh-Dompreh is just going around to spread lies on the cocoa issues,” he stated.
The Minority Caucus, led by Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, visited cocoa-growing communities in the Ahafo Region as part of what the caucus described as an effort to engage farmers, identify challenges affecting their livelihoods, and hold the government accountable.
The tour followed the government’s decision to cut the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per bag for the 2025/2026 season, a move that has deepened frustrations in farming communities where many voters say they feel betrayed. Some farmers in Asunafo South declared the Agriculture Minister “wanted,” accusing him of failing to return to the constituency since the price cut was announced and calling for an explanation and an apology.
