Also known as: Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board
Ghana Cocoa Board — state agency that sets cocoa producer prices and manages financing for cocoa purchases, preparing new domestic commercial paper programme for 2026/2027 season.
… He expressed appreciation to the Government and the Ghana Cocoa Board for their partnership and leadership in advancing the cocoa sector, noting that the meeting would provide a major platform for global dialogue on the future of cocoa. …
… He expressed appreciation to the Government and the Ghana Cocoa Board for their partnership and leadership in advancing the cocoa sector, noting that the meeting would provide a major platform for global dialogue on the future of cocoa. …
… The World Cocoa Foundation and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) announced on Thursday that Ghana will host the global cocoa industry gathering from March 16-18, 2027, bringing together governments, chocolate manufacturers, farmer groups, financial institutions and development part …
Cocoa farmers in the Ahondwo operational area in the Oti Region have appealed to the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to establish a cocoa clinic and provide essential support services to improve their welfare and sustain cocoa production in the area. …
Cocoa farmers have accused some officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of engaging in private cocoa buying activities that they say are undermining confidence in Ghana’s cocoa sector and distorting fair competition. …
… ’s plan to raise about US$1 billion through cedi-denominated domestic bonds to finance cocoa purchases is emerging as a critical test of investor confidence in the country’s debt market recovery following the 2022/2023 Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and Ghana Cocoa Board …
… Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL): Manages airports crucial for transport and logistics Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD): Of massive strategic importance for the marketing and regulation of cocoa, a core export commodity 3.0 Fiscal Challenges Posed by SOEs Persistent losses by Gha …
… His comments come amid growing public debate over cocoa producer prices following recent adjustments announced by the Ghana Cocoa Board as part of measures to stabilise the sector. …
… Ransford Abbey, Chief Executive-Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), says the new model marks a major shift in Ghana’s cocoa financing strategy and seeks to ensure price stability and sustainable farmer income. …
… Ghana Cocoa Board continued to dominate the corporate debt segment with outstanding securities of more than GH¢7.3 billion, accounting for the overwhelming share of listed corporate debt on the market. …
Ghana's Cocoa Board has kept the producer price at GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag for the 2025/2026 light crop season despite falling international cocoa prices, positioning Ghana's price above that of Côte d'Ivoire and providing income stability to smallholder farmers.
Why it matters
Ghana's decision to maintain cocoa prices above competitors protects farmer incomes during global market downturn, supporting rural livelihoods.
Ghana's Cocoa Board has kept the producer price at GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag for the 2025/2026 light crop season despite falling international cocoa prices, positioning Ghana's price above that of Côte d'Ivoire and providing income stability to smallholder farmers.
The Government of Ghana through COCOBOD has kept the cocoa producer price unchanged at GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag for the 2025/2026 light crop season despite falling international cocoa prices, placing Ghana's farmgate price above that of Côte d'Ivoire and providing income stability for smallholder farmers during a difficult market cycle.
Dr. Randy Abbey, CEO of Ghana's Cocoa Board, has called for deeper trust, transparency, and commitment between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen cooperation and secure greater value for cocoa on the international market. He stressed that sustained collaboration between the two largest cocoa-producing countries remains critical to improving farmer incomes and enhancing market influence.
Dr. Randy Abbey, COCOBOD chief executive, has called for deeper trust, transparency, and commitment between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen cooperation and secure greater value for cocoa on the international market. He stressed that sustained collaboration between the world's two largest cocoa-producing countries is critical to improving farmer incomes, enhancing market influence, and promoting long-term sector sustainability.
Ghana's Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson opened the 7th Steering Committee Meeting of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative in Abidjan, calling for deeper collaboration between the two largest cocoa-producing countries to strengthen cooperation, improve farmer incomes, and address emerging challenges in the cocoa sector.
Ghana's Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson opened the 7th Steering Committee Meeting of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative in Abidjan, calling for deeper collaboration between the world's two largest cocoa producers to improve farmer incomes and build a more resilient, profitable sector. The meeting gathered senior government officials and industry stakeholders from both countries to discuss strategies for strengthening cooperation and addressing challenges in the cocoa industry.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson opened the 7th Steering Committee Meeting of the Ghana-Côte d'Ivoire Cocoa Initiative in Abidjan, calling for deeper collaboration between the world's two largest cocoa producers to build a more resilient, prosperous, and profitable sector for farmers, with officials discussing strategies to strengthen cooperation, improve farmer incomes, and address industry challenges.
Ghana's government has announced the cocoa producer price for the 2026 light crop season will remain unchanged at GH¢1,241.76 per 30-kilogram load for Grade I and II beans and GH¢2,587.00 per 64-kilogram bag, with purchases set to begin on June 18, 2026. The decision aims to protect farmers' incomes despite declining global cocoa prices.
The Ghana Cocoa Board announced the producer price for the 2026 Light Crop Season will remain at GH¢1,241.76 per 30-kilogram load for Grade I and II cocoa beans, unchanged despite falling international cocoa prices. The government says the decision protects cocoa farmers' incomes and livelihoods while providing stability ahead of the new season.
Ghana's COCOBOD has announced the cocoa producer price for the 2026 Light Crop Season will remain unchanged at GH¢1,241.76 per 30-kilogramme load, despite declining international cocoa prices, to protect farmer incomes and livelihoods.
Ghana Cocoa Board is preparing a new tranche-based commercial paper programme ahead of the 2026/2027 cocoa season to reduce financing costs, broaden domestic participation, and lessen dependence on offshore borrowing. The programme targets pension funds, commercial banks, and other cocoa value-chain participants, replacing the traditional pre-export facilities that ranged between US$1 billion and US$1.5 billion annually but became unsustainable following Ghana's debt crisis and rising global interest rates.
Afarinick Company Limited distributed more than 400,000 improved cocoa seedlings free to farmers across the Volta Region and established a 2,000-acre sustainable cocoa plantation, described as Ghana's largest, along with a 2 million capacity nursery at its flagship project in Kpando.
Valentine Golden Ghanem, a clinician at the Cocoa Clinic in Accra, has spent more than eleven years conducting medical missions and screenings for remote farming communities through Ghana Cocoa Board outreach programs, combining frontline healthcare delivery with academic work on health inequities.
Ghana's Cocoa Board is advancing a new locally financed funding mechanism using commercial paper to raise working capital for cocoa purchases, with plans to roll out the facility before the 2026/2027 cocoa crop season. The initiative involves pension funds, commercial banks, and international cocoa buyers, and is intended to replace Ghana's three-decade-old syndicated loan arrangement with a more flexible and sustainable source of funding.
The 2024 State Ownership Report shows 35 of 54 state-owned enterprises turned a profit, but the sector posted a net loss of GH¢9.68 billion after tax, worse than the GH¢7.14 billion loss in 2023, driven by losses at a handful of giant utilities and currency revaluation effects from the weakening cedi.
Ghana's Cocoa Board is preparing a tranche-based commercial paper programme ahead of the 2026/2027 season to reduce financing costs and decrease dependence on offshore borrowing. The incremental funding model, targeted at domestic pension funds, banks, and cocoa value-chain participants, is intended to improve liquidity management and is expected to launch before the next crop season.
The Ghana Cocoa Board is advancing a new locally financed funding mechanism to raise working capital through commercial paper, with pension funds, commercial banks, international buyers and other cocoa value chain players identified as key financing sources. The facility is planned for launch ahead of the 2026/2027 cocoa crop season, marking a shift from Ghana's traditional syndicated loan arrangement.
The Ghana Cocoa Board has submitted a proposal to Cabinet imposing up to 10 years imprisonment, fines of up to five times the value of seized cocoa, and penalties of up to 200,000 units for cocoa smuggling. The measure aims to deter illegal trade, protect Ghana's cocoa sector, and ensure compliance with international standards including the European Union's Deforestation Regulation.
The Ghana Cocoa Board is at an advanced stage of implementing a new domestic financing regime through a commercial paper programme, with pension funds, commercial banks, and industry stakeholders identified as primary sources. The Deputy CEO says the institution has hired transaction advisors and is close to finalising the programme's structure ahead of launch.
Ghana's Finance Minister announced that the Cocoa Board will issue commercial papers to raise approximately US$1 billion to finance cocoa bean purchases for the 2026/2027 crop season, part of a strategy to reduce reliance on traditional offshore syndicated loans. The issuance, expected in the coming weeks and structured in three tranches, remains subject to parliamentary passage of a new Cocoa Bill and presidential assent.
Ghana will host the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting from March 16–18, 2027, in Accra, bringing together global cocoa and chocolate industry leaders on the theme "From Origin to Global Resilience." The Deputy Minister of Finance said the meeting underscores Ghana and Africa's leadership in the cocoa economy and called for urgent reforms to ensure fairness in the value chain, noting that despite a global chocolate industry worth over 100 billion dollars annually, many cocoa farmers remain below acceptable income levels.
Ghana will host the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting from March 16–18, 2027, in Accra, gathering leaders from the global cocoa and chocolate industry under the theme "From Origin to Global Resilience" to strengthen collaboration and address sustainability in the cocoa value chain.
Ghana has won the bid to host the 2027 World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Accra (March 16–18), which it plans to use to press for fairer financing arrangements for cocoa-producing countries and attract investment into local processing and farm rehabilitation amid climate pressures, crop disease, and weakening prices.
Cocoa farmers in the Ahondwo operational area, Oti Region, have appealed to the government and COCOBOD to establish a cocoa clinic and provide essential support services, citing challenges including limited healthcare access, inadequate agrochemical supplies, lack of scholarships, and insufficient logistics support that negatively affect their productivity and livelihoods.
Ghana's cocoa farmers, represented by the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association, have accused some COCOBOD officials of engaging in private cocoa buying activities that undermine confidence in the sector and distort fair competition. The Association also cited persistent challenges including cocoa smuggling, illegal mining on farms, and payment delays as threats to the cocoa industry's sustainability.
The government plans to raise about US$1 billion through cedi-denominated domestic bonds to finance cocoa purchases ahead of the 2026/2027 cocoa season, marking a shift away from offshore syndicated loans. The strategy aims to reduce dependence on foreign lenders and dollar borrowing, though success will depend on local investor appetite despite COCOBOD's GH¢32 billion debt burden and past payment delays.
Persistent losses by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) pose a risk to Ghana's fiscal balance and debt sustainability following the IMF bailout, according to a corporate governance consultant. The article contextualizes Ghana's SOE sector from independence through economic crises of the 1980s–90s, which reduced government capacity to finance operations and worsened SOE performance.
Ghana's cocoa farmers are earning more per bag than counterparts in Côte d'Ivoire, according to the NDC's AAK Constituency communications officer, who dismissed NPP criticism of the government's cocoa pricing as politically misleading.
Ghana's Cocoa Board is implementing a new cocoa sector funding model starting the 2026/2027 crop season, moving away from three decades of reliance on syndicated loans backed by forward cocoa sales. The model will use commercial paper and domestic liquidity to finance crop purchases, introduce quarterly price reviews, and maintain the 70 percent FOB price payment to farmers while responding to global cocoa price and exchange rate movements.
Trading activity in Ghana's corporate debt market accelerated sharply in the first four months of 2026, with corporate securities traded on the Ghana Fixed Income Market reaching GH¢2.79 billion—more than three times the GH¢831 million recorded in the same period in 2025—amid falling yields and improving market confidence following Ghana's 2023 domestic debt restructuring.