Despite the COCOBOD’s announcement of higher producer prices, smuggling from Ghana to neighboring countries continues. Peace FM Online reports that an anti-cocoa-smuggling task force on the Ghana-Togo border has nabbed yet more smugglers. According to the local manager of the Produce Buying Company–one of the licensed buying agents in Ghana–500 bags were impounded between June and October 2009. Overall local purchases have declined by 64 percent over the past nine years due to smuggling.
The situation at the western border of Ghana is no better. Smuggling to the Côte d’Ivoire was rampant during the last year and continues during the new cocoa year. Obviously, farmers close to either border understand that the producer price fixed by the COCOBOD is significantly below the current world market prices.
