Accra, Ghana 2025
.Ghana’s cocoa sector, central to rural livelihoods and national economic
stability, is brimming with cautious optimism for a bumper harvest in
the upcoming 2025/2026 season, despite lingering challenges.
Farmers See an Upswing After Downturns
Cocoa farmers across Ghana report
healthier flowering, pods, and foliage this season—raising expectations for
significantly increased yields. In Assin North, Theophilus Tamakloe
anticipates rising from 230 to 350 bags, buoyed by improved pod
development . Similarly, Salomey Saah in the Tano district highlights
her “business-like” approach paving the way from 1,000 to 2,000 bags,
while 2024’s National Best Cocoa Farmer, Kwame Alex, eyes 3,000 bags
this season .
Yet, the optimism comes with
caveats—erratic weather and delayed fungicide or pesticide access from COCOBOD
remain serious threats to production.
Cocoa’s Critical Role in Ghana’s Economy
There’s more to this season than
just numbers: cocoa forms the backbone of Ghana’s rural economy.
- As the world’s second-largest cocoa producer,
Ghana’s cocoa generates around $2.4 billion in exports annually,
contributing 5–7% of GDP and providing 10% of government revenue.
- Over 800,000 smallholder families rely on cocoa
farming—and more than 1 million jobs are tied to the sector through
farming, processing, trade, and export .
- COCOBOD has strategically poured funds into rural
development—roads, schools, clinics, electrification, and scholarships,
with over 25% rise in school enrollment and 60% rural
electrification in cocoa-growing areas.
Challenges That Undercut Gains
Despite its economic importance, the
sector grapples with systemic issues:
- Illegal gold mining (“galamsey”) has devastated cocoa farmlands, contaminated water,
and spurred farmer displacement—including heartbreaking reports of
farmland takeover and crop destruction .
- Climate change, pests, and diseases remain major production threats. Ghana’s output has
fallen short—dropping to 590,000 metric tons, well below the
650,000-ton target last season.
- Ghana’s share of the global market and revenue is undercut—despite cocoa’s high value, farmers earn only a small fraction of the final product’s global worth
Why This Harvest Matters Beyond the Farm
A strong cocoa season ripples
outward:
- Solid income
for farmers safeguards household spending on education, health, and
diversifies economic resilience.
- Foreign exchange
earnings help stabilize the cedi and underwrite budget needs like
infrastructure and public services.
- National morale and rural stability get a boost as success on farms translates into
improved welfare and security in rural towns.
- Value chain opportunities—beyond raw beans—hold promise for local processing,
job creation, and export diversification under frameworks like AfCFTA.