The government has increased the price paid to farmers for cocoa beans at the farmgate from the existing GH¢3,228.75 per bag of 64 kilograms to GH¢3,625 per bag, with effect from today.
In tonnage, the producer price went up from GH¢51,660 announced in August, this year, to GH¢58,000 per tonne for the rest of the 2025/2026 season.
The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, announced this in Accra yesterday after a meeting with the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) on Cocoa.
The minister, who chairs the committee, convened the meeting to review the developments in the cocoa front, consult the stakeholders and take some decisions.
“Following extensive consultations with stakeholders, the government has decided to increase the producer price of cocoa to producer price of cocoa to GH¢3,625 per bag or GH¢58,000 per tonne.
“This represents an increase of about GH¢400 per bag, equivalent to a 12.27 per cent rise over the price announced in August,” the finance minister said in a statement.
Fees
However, margins, fees and rates for all other stakeholders, including the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), remain unchanged.
The Producer Price Committee on Cocoa
A statement issued by the Ministry of Finance yesterday after the meeting, said COCOBOD would continue to implement interventions to support cocoa production and improve the welfare of cocoa farmers.
In particular, COCOBOD would intensify the supply of free cocoa fertilisers (liquid and granular), free insecticides, free spraying machines, free fungicides and free flower inducers.
The statement added that COCOBOD, the regulator, aggregator and sole exporter of cocoa from the country, remained on track to implement the new Tertiary Education Scholarship Scheme for children of cocoa farmers in the 2026/2027 academic year.
“The government remains committed to supporting the Ghana Cocoa Board to build a robust and resilient cocoa industry that provides sustainable and optimal benefits to all stakeholders,” the statement said.
Background
COCOBOD is expected to purchase about 650,000 tonnes of beans for the 2025/2026 cocoa season.
On August 4, this year, the government increased the producer price of cocoa for the 2025/2026 season from GH¢49,600 ($3,100) per tonne to GH¢51,660 ($5,040) per tonne, representing 70 per cent of the average Gross free on board (FoB) price which stood at $7,200 per tonne at the time.
That meant the price per 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa beans increased from last year’s GH¢3,100 to GH¢3,228.75, or 4.07 per cent over the previous price, Daily Graphic computations indicate.
The government also announced that beginning 2025/2026 crop season, COCOBOD would roll out a Ghana Cocoa Traceability System to ensure that cocoa produced in Ghana could be traced from a plot of land to the port of shipment.
“This all-new system will ensure that Ghana is in full compliance with the due diligence requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulations, which take effect from December 31, 2025.
“The Cocoa Traceability System places Ghana in a better position to supply cocoa that is traceable, deforestation-free, child labour-free and compliant with EU regulations,” Dr Forson said.