Government says it has agreed on urgent measures to stabilise Ghana’s cocoa sector after an emergency Cabinet meeting, including faster payments to farmers, sweeping reforms at COCOBOD and a major push to expand domestic cocoa processing.
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, announced the decisions while briefing journalists after the lengthy meeting convened by President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
“At the end of the emergency session, decisive measures have been agreed upon regarding expedited payments of cocoa farmers… the most drastic reforms in the cocoa sector, with a view to achieving quantum leaps in domestic processing of cocoa as opposed to exports of raw materials,” he said.
He added that Cabinet also approved “various reforms to be carried out at cocoa board in order to ensure more effective administration and management of the cocoa sector.”
The emergency meeting was called amid growing concerns about COCOBOD’s financing challenges, its reported inability to meet some cocoa supply contracts, and the effect of the crisis on farmers’ livelihoods.
The situation has heightened tensions in cocoa-growing areas, with some farmers threatening to sell their farmlands to illegal miners if the disruptions persist.
COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer, Randy Abbey, has also confirmed that the sector is under severe strain, including large volumes of cocoa beans remaining with farmers due to uncompetitive pricing.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
